Apparently, the ghost of Jack Kerouac refuses to stay dead. The Beatnik subculture—yes, those beret-wearing, espresso-sipping proto-hipsters—just staged a smoky little comeback. In Boynton Beach, Florida (of all places), the “KeroWACKED” festival lit up the arts district with jazz, poetry, and a giant genetically modified cow sculpture. Because of course.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles got extra existential with Beatnik Girl, a new stage play channeling 1950s angst through misogyny, antisemitism, and lots of typewriter clacking. It’s moody, it's monochrome, and it’s giving Sylvia Plath at brunch.

And in the digital realm? Neo-Beatniks are urging folks to smash their smartphones and talk to each other—like, with their actual voices. Imagine!

Whether it’s ironic revival or sincere rejection of late-stage capitalism (probably both), the Beats are cool again. Just don’t call them hipsters. They hated that before it was even a thing.