Editorial publication based on the Beat Generation.
The short-lived Beat movement changed the fabric of popular culture in ways that reverberate through time to the present day; yet due to both its short time span and the experimental and, at times, inaccessible, the nature of the major works makes it a subject about which few people know. This book explores the movement from the quiet, unknown beginnings, up until the pivotal moment that threw the movement into mainstream culture.
Black and white was primarily shown to highlight the literature and the words of the Beats. It was to echo the books and magazines found at the time. Futura was used to echo the 50's as it was a very popular font at that time.
The book is split into two parts. Part one is showing the origins of the movement primarily set in New York, it touches on their drug use, profiles of the most known authors and their cohorts.
Part two of this book looks at the turning point in the movement where being ‘Beat’ was suddenly mainstream and the ‘Beatnik’ craze started. We introduce the beginning of the end for the movement and cast a spotlight on the women. During the 1960's, aspects of the Beat movement metamorphosed into the counter-culture of the 1960's, accompanied by a shift in terminology from ‘beatnik’ to ‘hippie’.