The Portable Beat Reader (The Viking Portable Library)

by Viking Portable Library

Other authorsAnn Charters (Editor)

Paperback, 2003

Status

Available

Call number

810.90054

Genres

All Topics

Fiction

Collection

Your library

Publication

Penguin Classics (2003), Paperback, 688 pages

Description

Collection of poetry, prose and excerts from writers who were part of the "Beat Generation."

User reviews

LibraryThing member gazzy

Most of the times I think I'd rather hang out with them than read their stuff.

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LibraryThing member Arctic-Stranger

This is a good smorgasbord of beat lit. For people who want a good overview, you will find it here. As with any anthology there are some people whose inclusion is questionable, but that just gives more grist for the mill.

LibraryThing member DavenportsDream

So you have been sitting around the house wondering what to do? Smoking some reefer and listening to jazz? Then must be just about time for you to flip through The Portable Beat Reader. It gives you a good glimpse at all the usual subjects: Burroughs, Kerouac, Ginsberg, etal...and also may give you

a glimpse into some you may not have known: DiPrima, Corso, Casady. Overall you would be much better served by picking up some favorite pieces by the ones you enjoy, but half the fun in life is picking up on something you have never read before and digging it. There can be no better place for an introduction to beat writing of any sort than right here...Now go throw on your Bud Powell record and use that LP cover for something besides storing an album. Groovy

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LibraryThing member mahallett

very enjoyable but too much poetry for me.

LibraryThing member mahallett

very enjoyable but too much poetry for me.

LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco

A really nice sampling of “beat” literature! Sort of like a greatest hits compilation! Parts 1-3 were full of writings that I love, and that were wonderful to revisit! I especially enjoyed reading the "Joan Anderson" piece! Part 4 fell pretty flat for me, as did part 6 and the appendix. But

Part 5 was my joy! The writings in it gave me the feeling of the people on the periphery of the Beats - the children, lovers, spouses, etc.! I really glorify and romanticize many of the Beat authors and literature, and this section grounded me a bit, showing some of the real consequences of that lifestyle and movement. Strong stuff. And strong book!

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LibraryThing member piquant00

Poets, drug addicts, criminals, alcoholics, hedonists, ne'er-do-wells, agitators, college dropouts, social revolutionaries; the Beats were the voice of the Lost Generation born (mostly) between two world wars, looking for fresh artistic outlets and ideas away from those approved by contemporary

academe. They found them.

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Subjects

American literature

American literature 20th century

Beat generation Literary collections

Language

English

Original publication date

1992

Physical description

688 p.; 7.76 inches

ISBN

0142437530 / 9780142437537

Local notes

READIN, wien

trade paperback edition

part 1: 'the best minds of a generation' (east coast beats)
jack kerouac, allen ginsberg, william burroughs, herbert huncke, john clellon holmes, carl solomon, greg corso

part 2: 'heart beat' (enter neal cassady):
neal cassady, jack kerouac

part 3: 'constantly risking absurdity' (some san francisco renaissance poets ):
kenneth rexroth, lawrence ferlinghetti, michael mcclure, gary snyder, philip whalen,philip lamantia, lew welch, bob kaufman

part 4: 'a few blue words to the wise' (other fellow travelers):
amiri baraka, leroi jones, ray bremser, diana diprima, bob dylan, brenda frazer, bonnie bremser, tuli kupferberg, jack micheline, frank o'hara, peter orlovsky, ed sander, annie waldman, john wieners