Allen Ginsberg's?Howl and Other Poems?was originally published by City Lights Books in the Fall of 1956. Co-owner Nancy Peters explains its continued ethos: When I joined City Lights in 1971, and started working with Lawrence, it was clear that it had been very much a center of protest, for people with … City Lights, the San Francisco bookshop that published Allen Ginsberg's Howl, is 60 this year but there's still no better place to encounter American literature, writes Evan Karp Fine. The landmark, original publication of Allen Ginsberg’s HOWL & Other Poems! 1957. The Beat Generation was initially given its title by Jack Kerouac, who utilized the term “beat” to mean Howl set the tone for all of City Lights’ publications. . by Allen Ginsberg as they were shipped into San Francisco, declaring . Allen Ginsberg, Howl and Other Poems (San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1956), 3. The state hoped to enjoin the publication of “Howl,” the whirling epic poem by Allen Ginsberg that had appeared under Ferlinghetti’s imprint, City Lights Bookstore & Publishing. 6. ". It was seized by customs officials and San Francisco police and became the subject of a lengthy obscenity trial. San Francisco, NCA: City Lights Publishers (2001) Paperback. 5. . To his later regret, Mr. Ferlinghetti turned down an opportunity to publish Mr. Kerouac’s now-classic novel On the Road , though he did bring out his Book of Dreams in 1961. His collection of poetry unapologetically described drug use and sex. According to Stacey Lewis, the publicist at City Lights… City Lights Pocket Bookshop, San Francisco. First Edition, Fourth Printing. HOWL & Other Poems, the prophetic book that launched the Beat Generation, was published by Lawrence Ferlinghetti at City Lights Books in 1956. Paperback. Considered the single most influential work of post-WWII United States poetry, the City Lights edition of HOWL has remained in print for more than 60 years, with well over 1,000,000 copies in print. Howl and Other Poems . When Howl and Other Poems was published by City Lights Books two years later, Ginsberg sent a copy to his one-time mentor, Lionel Trilling, writing … Subsequently seized by U. S. Customs and the San Francisco Police, Howl and Other Poems is now in its fourth printing, and this edition contains the full text, exactly as it … originally published in 1956. Subsequently seized by U.S. customs and the San Francisco police, it was the subject of a long court trial at which a series of poets and professors persuaded the court that the book was not obscene. A year after Howl, City Lights published Gasoline, a collection of poetry by Beat writer Gregory Corso. In 1956, City Lights published the seminal poem "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg, whose works defined the zeitgeist of what would later be called the Beat Generation. Meanwhile, Howl and Other Poems flew off shelves across the country faster than Ferlinghetti could print them.