Still More Express It Eight Poems

Growing Up with the Beats in Berkeley in the 60s

I grew up in Berkeley
in the 60s
the hangover of the beatniks
hung over everything
the counter-cultural revolution
started with the beatniks
in the late 50s SF Vibe
howl their manifesto.

50s FUN FACTS


America Met the Hula Hoop

America was swept up by the hula hoop craze in the 1950s. The iconic toy, a hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck or wheeled along the ground like a wheel, was first designed by Arthur K. “Spud” Melin and Richard Knerr. It was an instant success, and they sold 25 million units in the first four months.


Formation of Beatniks


The 50s saw the rise of Beatniks, members of a social movement who subscribed to an anti-materialistic lifestyle. They rejected the conformity and consumerism of mainstream American culture and expressed themselves through various forms of art, such as literature, poetry, music, and painting. The Beatniks are considered to be the predecessors of the Hippie culture.