Gregory Corso (1930–2001) was an American poet and major figure of the Beat Generation. His work, which is often characterized by its experiments with formal conventions, vivid imagery, and a deep engagement with themes of alienation, spirituality, and the natural world, helped to define the Beat ethos and is among the most celebrated of the era.
Corso was born in Greenwich Village in New York City in 1930. His parents, both immigrants from Italy, divorced when he was just five years old, and he was subsequently placed in a Catholic orphanage in the Bronx. He was later adopted by a couple from Little Italy in Manhattan, but his tumultuous upbringing left an indelible mark on his work.
Corso dropped out of high school at the age of fifteen and began a life of vagabondage, moving around the country and engaging in petty crime. In 1951 he was arrested and served a year in prison for stealing a typewriter. It was during this time that he began to write poetry, and upon his release he became a fixture of the Beat scene, befriending fellow Beats Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
In 1956 Corso published his first volume of poetry, The Vestal Lady on Brattle, and his second, Gasoline, followed in 1958. He soon gained a reputation for his dynamic readings of his work and for his masterful use of language. Corso began to tour the country, reading his poetry and engaging with the Beat ethos.
Corso's work would be the subject of intense critical scrutiny throughout the 1960s, and he was often grouped together with the likes of Ginsberg and Kerouac as one of the leading lights of the Beat Generation. His later work from the 1970s and '80s often drew on the themes of his earlier work, but was marked by a more pensive quality and a more introspective tone.
Corso's influence on American culture extended beyond the literary sphere, and he was an important figure of the countercultural movement of the 1960s. He was an advocate for the rights of the disenfranchised, and his work often addressed issues of class, race, and gender. He continued to write and perform until his death in 2001.
Gregory Corso's life and work remains an important part of the Beat Generation. His vivid imagery, experiments with form, and deeply human themes continue to resonate with readers and audiences alike. His legacy is one of innovation, creativity, and a deep engagement
