Beat Generation Literature in America
Saturday, March 11th, 2006, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Speaker: Chris Douthit
The 1950's was a revolutionary time in American Literature primarily because of a group of crazy, hip freethinkers from San Francisco called the Beats, whose style (in writing and life), candor and subject matter broke taboos and opened discussion about sexuality, gender, peace, environmentalism and many topics which still inspire heated debate today. Focusing on some of the main figures in the Beat movement (Jack Kerouac, Gary Synder, Allen Ginsberg) and their history and influences (especially Buddhism), we will investigate how a fringe literary group became one of the defining elements of an era in American history.
Chris is an ALT at Yamagata Technical High School and Yamagata East High School. He studied literature at Humboldt State University in California.
Organization: Yamagata Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (Yamagata JALT)
Cost: JALT Members: free
Non-members: 800 yen
Venue: Yamagata Kajo Kominkan Sogo Gakushu Center, Shironishi-machi 2-chome, 2-15, Tel. 0236-45-6163
Location: Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan