Didi (Death of the Endless) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
living_endless) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2016-01-26 10:21 am
living_endless) wrote in fandomhigh2016-01-26 10:21 am
Subcultures 101, Tuesday, Period 3
Coming to class dressed to match the subculture was becoming a little bit of a thing for Didi. Today's class was on the Beat Generation, and dressing to match meant a black turtleneck, slim-fitting black slacks, and capris. (The beret was a step too far.) She'd instructed the students to meet in the Danger Shop, which had been programmed to look like Cafe Wha? in 1961.
"Hey," she said, once the students were seated at a variety of small cafe tables. "Today we're talking about the Beat Generation -- or, as most people call it, Beatniks. This is the counterculture movement of the Eisenhower era. Mainly, Beats were trying to reject standard values and materialism in place of something more spiritual. They explored Native American and Eastern religions, experimented with psychedelics, and treated sexuality in a more open way than most people did at the time.
"Amiri Bakara said, 'The so-called Beat Generation was a whole bunch of people, of all different nationalities, who came to the conclusion that society sucked,' and that's about right. The writers most associated with Beat culture are people like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs."
She went on for a bit, explaining the major works of Beat writing and the history of the subculture, before wrapping up.
"Anyhow, this is a coffeehouse called Cafe Wha?. It was a big Beat and folk singer hangout of its time. As soon as I start it up an open mike will be going on, so you can hear some of the music and spoken-word poetry of the time. I don't have any discussion questions today -- just soak it in."
"Hey," she said, once the students were seated at a variety of small cafe tables. "Today we're talking about the Beat Generation -- or, as most people call it, Beatniks. This is the counterculture movement of the Eisenhower era. Mainly, Beats were trying to reject standard values and materialism in place of something more spiritual. They explored Native American and Eastern religions, experimented with psychedelics, and treated sexuality in a more open way than most people did at the time.
"Amiri Bakara said, 'The so-called Beat Generation was a whole bunch of people, of all different nationalities, who came to the conclusion that society sucked,' and that's about right. The writers most associated with Beat culture are people like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs."
She went on for a bit, explaining the major works of Beat writing and the history of the subculture, before wrapping up.
"Anyhow, this is a coffeehouse called Cafe Wha?. It was a big Beat and folk singer hangout of its time. As soon as I start it up an open mike will be going on, so you can hear some of the music and spoken-word poetry of the time. I don't have any discussion questions today -- just soak it in."