Irwin Allen Ginsberg (June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and author. He was part of the Beat Generation movement of poets in the 1950s. He was a friend of writers Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, and later made friends with musicians Bob Dylan, Donovan, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and many other celebrities.