Beat Transnationalism - by John Tytell (Paperback)

About the Book

Beat scholar John Tytell explores the extent to which the Beat Generation, usually thought of as a very American literary movement, was shaped by its members moving outside of the United States. He explores the lives of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs as they gain a new perspective on their homeland while exploring Mexico.

Book Synopsis

Allen Ginsberg told John Tytell that he would not understand the Beat Generation without first experiencing life in Mexico, and so, while writing Naked Angels, the first book to explore the development of Beat literature, Tytell headed south to Oaxaca.

In this volume, Tytell examines the importance of Mexico to the Beat Generation, while recounting - via letters from that period to his wife, Mellon - his own experiences in Oaxaca. Also included are essays on Bonnie Bremser, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Patti Smith, among others.