Tom Russell & Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Along with a handful of others, including Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti is recognized as one of the most important poets to emerge from the Beat Generation of writers. He is also founder of the famous City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, which spawned a publishing branch. In fact, Ferlinghetti published Ginsberg's notorious poem "Howl" (amongst a series of "pocket" books of poetry), resulting in a much-publicized trial on obscenity charges. In what was considered a landmark victory for free speech, the poets were declared innocent. Lawrence Ferlinghetti was born in ...