Gregory Corso (1930-2001)
Gregory Corso (1930 - 2001) was born into difficult circumstances. Abandoned by his mother at the age of one, Corso spent much of his New York childhood in foster homes and orphanages, from which he repeatedly ran away. Frequently in trouble with the law, at age seventeen, Corso was convicted of theft and sent to prison, where he read widely from the library and started to write poetry. After his release, he became friends with Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs, and got involved in the New York art scene. After wandering for a few years, Corso moved to San Francisco, where he met back up with Ginsberg, who quickly helped to establish his reputation as one of the most influential writers of the Beats. His poem "Writ on the Steps of Puerto Rican Harlem" highlights Corso's electic mix of classical diction and casual tone, as he discusses life and death.