Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Lawrence Ferlinghetti was an integral part of the Beat movement, both as a publisher at City Lights Press and as a host of countless readings at his famed San Francisco bookstore, City Lights Books. He is the author of numerous books including the famous A Coney Island of the Mind, which has sold nearly a million copies. A long-time resident of San Francisco, he is currently that city's Poet Laureate and writes a monthly column on poetry for the San Francisco Chronicle.