Which City Lights Bookstore co-founder stood trial for obscenity in 1957 after publishing Allen Ginsberg's poem 'Howl'?

Literature

What was the judge's ruling in the 1957 obscenity trial over the publication of Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl'?

The Beats were nearly destroyed by a single obscenity trial—Lawrence Ferlinghetti faced jail time for publishing Ginsberg's 'Howl,' which ultimately freed American poetry.

Literature

What famous poet wrote 'Howl,' published in 1956?

Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl' opens with the famous line 'I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked.'

Literature

Which Roman emperor banished the poet Ovid to the Black Sea in 8 AD, for reasons historians still debate?

Ovid's banishment to the Black Sea by Emperor Augustus remains unexplained—historians still debate whether it was truly about his poetry or hidden political intrigue.

Literature

When Virgil died in 19 BCE, in what condition was his epic poem the Aeneid, which later became Rome's national epic?

Virgil's Aeneid was unfinished when he died, yet it became Rome's official national identity epic—Constantine later claimed Virgil predicted Christianity.

Literature

At what age did Mary Shelley conceive the idea for 'Frankenstein' during a ghost-story competition with Lord Byron?

Mary Shelley conceived Frankenstein at age 18 during a ghost-story competition with Lord Byron, then wrote it to win a bet.

Literature

Which American author wrote the 2013 novel 'The Circle,' depicting a tech company that monopolizes personal data collection?

David Eggers' The Circle, published in 2013, depicted a tech company monopoly collecting personal data—companies like Google and Facebook had already begun doing exactly that.