The Beats Abroad ― A Global Guide to the Beat Generation

The Beat Generation may be one of the great homegrown countercultures of the United States, but in fact its writers traveled widely and lived abroad for periods of time. Their travels were a vital source of inspiration, and in turn they inspired literary scenes and kindred spirits around the globe.

The writers we think of as "beat" first met in New York City in the 1940s and 50s, then joined up with others in San Francisco to form the group that became the "Beat Generation." By the 1960s their books had become seminal texts for America's counterculture, and many were being published in translation. As their travels brought them into contact with writers around the world, the Beats' influence spread far beyond the United States.

Renowned Beat scholar Bill Morgan documents that international phase of the Beat Generation's story. He delves deep into epicenters like Paris, Tangier, and Mexico City, and tracks down more remote locales from Siberia to Colombia. Entries contain specific addresses for the globetrotting reader to visit on every continent, and are loaded with fascinating stories that illuminate the lives and works of Ginsberg, Burroughs, Corso, Kerouac, Ferlinghetti, and others during their adventures abroad. This handy reference lets the reader trace Ginsberg's trail through India, or find the hotel in Tangier where Burroughs wroteNaked Lunch, and much, much more.

Bill Morgan is the author of numerous books, including The Typewriter is Holy: The Complete Uncensored History of the Beat Generationand I Celebrate Myself: The Somewhat Private Life of Allen Ginsberg.