The Beats were the forerunners of the counter-culture of the 1960s and influenced literature, film and music. The literary recognition is based on the first major publications of their three main protagonists: On the Road (1957) by Jack Kerouac, "Howl" (1956) by Allen Ginsberg and Naked Lunch (1959) by William S. Burroughs. This seminar will take a look at the major texts as well as works by other Beats such as Gregory Corso, Brion Gysin or Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Requirements: - Reading the assignments.
- Handing in four response papers. Due July 30, 2010.
- A short presentation in class. I will send around a list of possible topics.
Course Readings: Jack Kerouac. On the Road. 1957. New York: Penguin, 2000. A reader with additional texts will be available by beginning of the semester at the copy shop on Reckhammerweg 4. |
