INQ-271 | The Beats and India-Global

Full Title: The Beats and India

Topic Description:

When Allen Ginsberg was twelve years old, he heard a lecture on the philosophy of yoga in Paterson, New Jersey. This was his first exposure to Indian culture, and it made a lasting impression on him. By the time Ginsberg was traveling to India in 1962 with plans to explore the country with poets Peter Orlovsky, Gary Snyder, and Joanne Kyger, he and his fellow-travelers had read many Indian texts, including the Bhagavad Gita, some Bhakti poetry, and works on religious figures like Ramakrishna, Ramana Maharishi, and Krishnamurti, in addition to many Buddhist scriptures. This course will explore how this encounter with India impacted the Beat Generation. In addition to analyzing literature produced by Ginsberg, Snyder, Kyger, and Kerouac, we will examine some of the significant philosophical and literary texts from India that intrigued and inspired this group of writers.

Counts as Global? No

Topic Approved: December 2010