In 1957, Allen Ginsberg wrote of Corso, "He's probably the greatest poet in America, and he's starving in Europe." Corso's themes are death and beauty, always in American terms. Virtually an orphan, Corso was born on Bleecker Street in New York's Greenwich Village. He spent his childhood and youth in and out of foster homes. During his numerous prison terms, he was introduced to literature by a fellow convict. On his release, he met Ginsberg, who immediately recognized his talent and helped him.
Patti Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 30, 1946. She is a singer-songwriter, writer and visual artist. She gained recognition in the 1970s for her revolutionary mergence of poetry and rock. Her album Horses has been hailed as one of the top 100 albums of all time. She has recorded twelve albums. In 2007, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She has written several books including Witt, Babel, Woolgathering, The Coral Sea, Auguries of Innocence, and Just Kids. Her drawings, photographs, and installations have been shown at numerous venues including the Andy Warhol Museum and the Fondation Cartier Pour l'Art Contemporain in Paris. In 2005, she was awarded the… title of Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture, which is the highest honor awarded to an artist by the French Republic.