Few writers have captured the imagination of the American public to the degree that Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and the other members of the Beat Generation have. Their stream-of-consciousness writing style, a result of, as well as an homage to, Eastern religious teachings and the rhythms of progressive jazz, caught a nation weary from World War II and the battles on the Korean peninsula by surprise. Where the academics of the day were attempting to solidify the rules of literature and poetry, the Beat writers rejected traditional forms, seeking expression, instead, through "intense experiences and beatific illumination."

Appreciation for the Beat Generation seems to wane then wax, like oceanic tides, as one generation replaces the ideals of its predecessor with its own, almost in direct antithesis. The late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s saw college students finding little use for the writers who based a majority of their works on the various drugs they ingested. But, with the recent release of the film The Last Time I Committed Suicide, based in part on Neal Cassady’s letters to Jack Kerouac, a new dawn of interest for not only the works of these writers, but for the lives they lived, seems to be growing.

Below you’ll find some of the best Beat-related sites on the Internet. Two years ago I remember finding only two, but now their numbers have multiplied significantly. Though by no means a complete directory, the links that follow will at least give you an idea of what’s out there, should you decide to go looking.