Even though Paul Bowles (1910-1999) wrote stories, composed music, and lived in some of the world's most exotic places, he was not one who craved recognition. The general public, even those who considered themselves well-informed, might not have recognized his name. Yet, Bowles became the standard bearer for the "beat" generation, commonly referred to as "beatniks."

Paul Frederick Bowles was born on December 30, 1910, in New York City. He was the only child of Claude Dietz Bowles and Rena Winnewisser Bowles. He was raised in Jamaica, Queens, on Long Island, one of America's first suburbs. Bowles' father was a dentist who had wanted to be a concert violinist. Despite the advantages of a middle class lifestyle, his childhood was not a pleasant one. As Bowles said of his father in a 1972 autobiography, Without Stopping, "I took for granted his constant and unalloyed criticism. His mere presence meant misery."

Bowles...