Beat poets performed at Columbia and East Third Street venues in 1959

Evidence

Kerouac and Ginsberg both performed significant readings as The Beat Generation went into post-production. On February 5, 1959, Ginsberg premiered “Kaddish” in the McMillin Theatre at his alma mater, Columbia University. Ten days later he joined Ted Joans, LeRoi Jones, Gregory Corso, and Kerouac for a reading at the Artist’s Studio on East Third Street. Thanks to Voice photographer Fred McDarrah’s iconic image, Kerouac—checkered shirt, arms extended—was the star. — J. Hoberman, Everything Is Now, 1839