What do you think of the Beats?
 

Recently, I had a discussion with my friend about her grad paper on Joanne Kyger, a female 'Beat' (she wasn't really considered one until after the fact, and even that distinction's still up in the air) so I did an amazon.com search on her. It appears that in her journals she was sometimes critical of most of the Beat writers, occasionally to the point of disparagement. I also have a good friend that's solidly pro-Beatnik, though I personally disagree with a lot of their perceptions and attitudes.

What do you guys think of the Beats? Are they really that good, or just overhyped?