When, in his famous epic poem "Howl," Allen Ginsberg spoke of "the best minds of my generation," he could only have meant the Beats, that band of notorious writers and artists that formed his surrogate family. Ginsberg, the anti-establishment Buddhist homosexual, became themost widely known public pe

Beat poetry, Epic, Homoerotic, Pathos, Perverse, Political, Queer literature, Religious, Romantic poetry, Sincere, Trippy

James Baldwin, one of the most prominent figures in American literature, rose to the highest of literary heights from the most trying of circumstances. Born into a poor Harlem family, he had to contend with an abusive stepfather. Despite the deplorable quality of Harlem's public schools, Baldwin mana

African american fiction, Angry, Homoerotic, Masculine, Psychological, Queer literature, Religious

Considered one of the most important Modernist writers, William Faulkner is known for his searing excavations into the core of the pain, pride, and prejudices of the antebellum South. His novels explore many subjects in many voices. His narrators range from children to murderers, the insane, and the

Contemplative, Dark, Enigmatic, Religious, Southern gothic, Surreal, Visceral

Toni Morrison, arguably the most famous living African American author, was born Chloe Anthony Wofford in 1931 in Ohio. As a child, she was an avid and precocious reader, and her family of masterful storytellers raised her on a steady diet of tales and legends. She studied literature at Howard and Co

African american fiction, Dense, Feminine, Layered, Melancholy, Pathos, Religious, Southern gothic, Spectral, Women's literature