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The Beats were a group of affiliated authors and individuals who coalesced into a literary and social movement in the 1950s. Starting with a group of a few like-minded friends at Columbia University, the group created a compelling counter-cultural narrative that stood in contrast to what is usually remembered as the sterile cultural conformity of the 1950s. The group included Jack Kerouac, whose novel On the Road became the defining text of the movement, Allen Ginsberg, whose poem Howl was adopted as a cri de coeur by many people alienated by the prevailing ethos of the time, and Gary Snyder, whose poetry and other writings explored Zen Buddhism and deep ecology, inciting both pilgrims seeking new spiritual paths and the growing ecological movement. Neal Cassady, who left no published writing but was the compatriot and frequent subject of many of the beat authors, went on to be a key figure in the social ferment of the 1960s, providing a connection between two notable counter-cultural movements of the 20th century.

General Information
  • The main text for this class will be The Portable Beat Reader, which is edited by Ann Charters and is available online from $18.89.
  • Other texts read in their entirety will include Kerouac’s On the Road and The Dharma Bums (less than $15 a piece online), along with a selection of poetry and shorter works that will either be in the reader or will be provided.
  • There will be some media presentations intended to better illuminate the people and the times and the places at the heart of the Beat Movement.
  • Campers will be responsible for procuring their own texts before the class.
  • There is no test or final essay for this class—it is intended for people who would like a guided overview of the Beat writers, and who are interested discussing these texts with like-minded individuals.
  • Camp will meet on Wednesday, July 3rd in place of the July 4th holiday.

Instructors Experience
  • Dan McBride has ha BA in Literature from Brad College, and a MA in education from Stanford University. He has taught English at Guilderland High School for 21 years.

Register Activity Ages Grades Days Date/Time Fees
 
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Beat Literature 
7 		16y and up N/A MTh  07/01/2024 - 08/08/2024
02:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Guilderland High School 		$286.00 R, $286.00 NR
* Adjustments and discounts will be applied during checkout if applicable. *

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