
Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s A Coney Island of the Mind is one of my all-time favorite collections of poetry. Firmly situated within the Beat Movement, Ferlinghetti’s writing style is comforting with its melodic prose and Cummings-esque structure. The combination of lyrical lines, originally meant for jazz accompaniment, and cultural references perfectly portray the 1950s and 60s ethos. Now 101 years old, Ferlinghetti is a mammoth of both the poetry and publishing worlds.