Beat Generation in SF: Rebels, Writers, and Visionaries

Description

The Beat Generation wasn’t just a literary movement—it was a cultural rebellion. With the publication of Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, the writers of the Beat Generation burst on the scene in the late ‘50s. Writers like Ginsberg, Kerouac, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti found refuge in San Francisco’s North Beach, rejecting conformity and embracing raw, unfiltered truth. Their work—bold, spontaneous, and deeply personal—challenged post-war America and set the stage for the counterculture movements that followed.

On this tour, we’ll explore the world of the Beats: the places they wrote, performed, and pushed boundaries. We’ll visit legendary haunts like City Lights Bookstore and Caffe Trieste, tracing the journey of a movement that sought meaning in jazz, Zen Buddhism, and the open road. We’ll also uncover what happened when the Beat revolution burst into the public eye—and how its echoes still shape literature and culture today.

Next Tours

• Thursday, March 27 at 11:00 am given by David P.Sign Up
• Thursday, April 3 at 11:00 am given by Cathie S.Sign Up
• Thursday, April 10 at 11:00 am given by Anne H.Sign Up
• Thursday, April 17 at 11:00 am given by David P.Sign Up
• Sunday, May 4 at 11:00 am given by Cathie S.Sign Up
• Thursday, May 15 at 11:00 am given by Anne H.Sign Up
• Thursday, May 22 at 11:00 am given by David P.Sign Up
• Friday, June 6 at 11:00 am given by Cathie S.Sign Up

Notes

Tour Length: Approximately 1 1/2 hours