City Lights Pocket Poets Series

The City Lights Pocket Poets Series is a renowned publishing project started in 1954 by the San Francisco-based City Lights Bookstore. It features compact, affordable editions of significant modern and contemporary poetry, making influential poets accessible to a broad audience. Known for its focus on innovative and groundbreaking voices, the series has introduced works by poets like Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William Carlos Williams, helping to shape the Beat Generation and modern American poetry. Its mission is to democratize poetry, ensuring it remains an approachable and vital part of everyday life.