Brenda Knight won the American Book Award in 1997 for Women of the Beat Generation. Before Ms. Knight's book, little was known about the role of female writers and artists in the 1950s counter-culture movement. "They were always there," Knight says. "It was like they were sitting in a dark room and needed the light turned on." Knight assembled a unique volume that uncovered a hidden history and revolutionized the way we look at an entire era. The book is a collection of writing, profiles, and photos that brings recognition to such female Beats as Diane Di Prima, Hetti Jones, Mary Norbert Korte, and Jan Kerouac (Jack Kerouac's daughter).

Knight thinks one explanation for the book's continued popularity may be that our current age of hype and commercialism makes people appreciate the raw authenticity of the Beats now more than ever.