The Birth of the Beat Generation (Osher Online)
Osher Online - Fall | Available (Membership Required)
In this course, we will examine the dramatic circumstances that gave rise to the Beat Generation in the 1940s. Together, we will examine three famous Beat works: Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg, On the Road by Jack Kerouac, and Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs. We will focus on historical events involving Beat writers, important passages of Beat literature, and the literary movement that spawned the 1960s counterculture.
Course Trailer: The Birth of the Beat Generation (Vimeo)
Note: Registration for the Summer Osher National Online courses will close on Sunday, September 20, 2026.
Osher Online™ courses are not recorded.
Kurt Hemmer
Kurt Hemmer is the editor of the Encyclopedia of Beat Literature and a professor at Harper College. Hemmer has produced award-winning documentaries on Beat poets with filmmaker Tom Knoff and published extensively on Beat writers. He organized the Jack Kerouac Centenary Conference and serves as president of the Beat Studies Association. He is currently working on a biography of Beat poet Gregory Corso.