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Witness History: Howl: The Poem That Revolutionised US Writing

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05/10/2018 GMT

Howl: The Poem That Revolutionised US Writing

BBC World Service - Witness History, Howl: The Poem That Revolutionised US Writing

How Allan Ginsberg's reading in San Francisco in 1955 started the "Beat Generation".

How Allan Ginsberg's reading at a San Francisco art gallery in 1955 started the "Beat Generation".

Allen Ginsberg first read his poem Howl, at an art gallery in San Francisco in October 1955. It marked a turning point in American literature and is credited with starting the "Beat Generation" of American writers. Michael McClure, a fellow poet, took part in the reading that night. The programme was first broadcast in 2012.

Photo: Allen Ginsberg, front row centre, with other poets in 1965. Express/Getty Images.

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