For writers, the Beat goes on

In the 1950s, writers Joyce Johnson and Hettie Jones were obscured by a male-dominated generation of Beat artists - hipsters who explored sexual freedom, the realm of drugs and alcohol, racial awareness, and street life in their work. Decades later, due to the release of several books, including memoirs of their time spent with the Beat writers, these two women writers are getting their due recognition. Many students, especially those interested in the Beat generation, met Jones and Johnson with enthusiasm and avid attention when the two held a reading last Thursday in Olin.