Clementine, no these are new names for me, I confess that my aesthetic is formed by the european avant movements, surrealism, lettrism, situationism, so the Beats are kind of an interesting side road, but I sure would welcome some suggestions where I should go with your recomendations! And ,yes ,Rexroth was often slight as a poet, but he is the personification of a whole anarcho-bohemian world view that begat the beats who begat the pranksters et al . I really would have difficulty in finding his equivalent on this side of the pond. Perhaps Alex Trocchi? Simon Vinkenoog?
And what do you think of Ted Jones?The link between the Surrealists and the beats.