Allen Ginsberg's life and career can only be described as exceptional. Fond of pushing limits and challenging boundaries, Ginsberg produced a staggering body of work that garnered attention not just for its innovative style and personal candor, but for its range of theme and willingness to meaningfully engage the world in a bid to change it. Ginsberg is essential to an understanding of 20th century poetry. But Ginsberg was not just a poet. He was an icon, instantly recognizable to his legions of fans in underground circles, and it is impossible to overstate the importance of Ginsberg as a countercultural figure. Taking a broadly chronological approach, this volume provides a comprehensive overview of the major issues, themes, and moments essential to understanding Ginsberg, his work, and his outsized influence on the cultural politics of the postwar both in the US and globally.