I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by
madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn
looking for an angry fix,
angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly
connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night ...

1955 American poet Allen Ginsberg (1926 - 1997) organised a poetry reading at Six Gallery, San Francisco (featuring also Michael McClure, Philip Lamantia, Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen, Kenneth Rexroth and Lawrence Ferlinghetti) and brought down the house by reading ‘Howl’ publicly for the first time (some sources say October 13).

‘Howl’ is Ginsberg’s most famous work, but the Beat poet did not consider it his best ...

Wilson's Almanac Book of Days hip list :: Test your hipster general knowledge

Tagged: ginsberg, literature, beat+poetry