There has always been a group of people with little interest in the trappings of accepted society; those who have no interest in keeping up with the Jones's, climbing the corporate ladder, or generally participating in 'the rat race'. A group whose disillusionment with contemporary society has set them apart in some fashion: the bohemian lifestyle so to speak. This is the scene many of us think of when we hear the word beatnik or bohemian, or when we refer to coffeehouse poetry. These are the prominent images of the beatnik stereotype, however, as it seems to be with all stereotypes, the image is incorrect, and the generation that gave birth to this stereotype is sadly misunderstood. To understand the reality of the counter-culture we must first try to define it and identify its progenitors, a task, which is often difficult when speaking of social movements.
The term has taken on the connotation of a lifestyle of hedonism, non-conformity, and the literary/artistic avant-garde-taken from Beatnik Era: Poetry In The Coffeehouse
By JP Burns (JP)
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