The most influential American poet of 20th century
Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and writer. Along with Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs, which are both his student years friends, they formed the core of the Beat Generation movement. Allen Ginsberg was a vigorous public activist, who energetically opposed all forms of militarism, consumerism, and sexual, religious, and freedom of speech repressions. He was the voice of the counter-culture, working together with some of the most influential artists, musicians, and writers of the time. Ginsberg embodied the search for an alternative lifestyle, teachings, and aesthetics that 50's American intellectuals embraced. He was a Buddhist who extensively studied Eastern religious disciplines and openly promoted their practices. He lived modestly, buying his clothing in second-hand stores and residing in apartments in New York City's East Village.