“First published in November 1956, Alan Ginsberg’s “Howl” has sold nearly a million copies. The 1957 obscenity trial over it helped break down barriers against free expression, forcing American society to reassess what was and wasn’t acceptable to say. Ginsberg’s ardent anti-establishment stance laid the groundwork for both the upheavals of the 1960s and the marketing juggernaut we call “youth culture” today. As “Howl” marks its 50th anniversary, then, it seems important to ask how (or whether) it continues to resonate, what it has to offer a new generation.”