The Gift of Love Book

If memory serves me, I probably bought this book when I was 19 or 20 years old. I read several selections at the time, largely from authors or poets I already had interested in, and then this book sat on my shelf for a number of years. Fast forward to summer vacation 2008, and wanting something to pass the time. Being over 600 pages, it takes quite a bit of time to get through, but by in large the gems highlighted are truly worth your time. The book is divided into three chronological sections, essentially amounting to the founders, the coming of age of the 'Beat generation', and later reflections. The introductions preceding each section sets the stage and offer interesting bits of history to accompany your reading. Naturally not everything can be Ginsburg's "Howl" or Corso's "Marriage", but it's a pretty thorough sampling of this literary movement. What I found most interesting were the autobiographical works by the wives of the writers written later in their lives, which is included in the last section. That part in particular is worth a read, especially if you feel you've already experienced all you need to concerning Beat writers.