 | |
     | |
|
Join the Newsletter!
Books for Sale!
 Browse books for sale
Beats, Artists & More
Beat Generation & counterculture info
Featured Writing & Art
Articles, reviews, art, more!
Book Collecting Info
Book collecting & first edition ID
Publishing Info
Advice on publishing poetry
Services for Writers
Custom websites for writers
About / Contact Us
About Empty Mirror BooksCopacetic
The Third Page:A Journal of Ongrowing Natures | Beat Generation BiographiesHere you'll find biographies and links to other information about the various Beat Generation writers & artists, their friends, families, and associates. This page is ever-growing. If you have a suggestion for this page, or would like to contribute a biography or other information, please drop us a line. Alan AnsenPoet, playwright and author Alan Ansen was associated with both the Beat Generation & New York School poets. He passed away in November, 2006. Please see our Alan Ansen page for more information about Ansen & his work.Alan Ansen's aliases in Kerouac's books Paul BowlesPaul Bowles began as a composer of orchestral music. It was only after he married his wife, Jane Bowles, a writer, that he began writing seriously. They moved to Tangier, Morocco in 1947, where Bowles wrote his first novel "The Sheltering Sky," which was followed by "The Delicate Prey," "Let it Come Down," "The Spider's House," and various other books.
Though not actually one of the Beats, he associated with many of them (including William Burroughs, who lived in Tangier a time), and eventually Tangier (and his apartment there) became a popular destination for the Beats. Paul Bowles died in Tangier in 1999.
William S. BurroughsIn the 1930s William Seward Burroughs left his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri for New York, where he lived off a trust fund and involved himself with junkies, criminals, and other societal outcasts. He became a heroin addict and experimented with myriad other drugs.It was through his friend David Kammerer that he met Jack Kerouac and his group of friends. He married Joan Vollmer, who had been Edie Parker's (Kerouac's wife) roommate. They moved to Louisiana & Texas, where he began farming marijuana and other crops. Forced to leave those states because of drug violations, he, his wife, and their son moved to Mexico City, where a great tragedy was to occur. One night he announced to friends that he was going to perform his "William Tell act," had Joan put a glass on her head, and fired a shot. He missed. After Joan's death he went to South America to experiment with the drug yage, then traveled to Tangier where he met Paul Bowles. William Burroughs died in 1997 in Lawrence, Kansas, where he had lived for some years.
Burroughs began writing at the age of 35. His first novel was "Junky," followed by "Queer," "Naked Lunch," and many others. He also was one of the pioneers of the cut-up and other experimental literary techniques.
Bill CannastraCannastra was a law student, and a drinking buddy of Jack's in New York. He'd been dating Joan Haverty at the time of his tragic death. Cannastra was killed when his head, stuck out the window of a subway, was decapitated as the train went through a tunnel.Bill Cannastra's aliases in Kerouac's books Lucien CarrKerouac met Lucien Carr through Jack's then-girlfriend (later his wife) Edie Parker. Carr was a student at Columbia (where he became friends with Allen Ginsberg) who had aspirations to be a writer. David Kammerer was obsessively in love with Carr, & this eventually led to Carr's stabbing him, in self-defense, and throwing him in the Hudson River. The novelist Caleb Carr is Lucien Carr's son.Lucien Carr's aliases in Kerouac's books Neal CassadyNeal Cassady grew up in Denver, Colorado, the son of a barber who moved them from cheap hotel to cheap hotel. Neal was usually a truant, hanging out in pool halls, hitchhiking, stealing cars, and, finally, landing in reform school, where he read his way through the library's shelves of literature.He met Jack Kerouac through his friend Hal Chase, a friend who had moved from Denver to attend Columbia University. By the time Neal (and his wife Luanne) came to New York in 1947 to visit Hal, Kerouac had already heard the stories about Neal, and they quickly became friends. Jack was sort of in awe of Neal's high energy, his ease with women, and his spontanaeity and excitement for life. Allen Ginsberg, too, was impressed with Neal, falling in love with him, and the two became lovers. Cassady left New York in March 1947. Jack took his first cross-country road trip to see Neal later that year, and thus began his life "on the road." Neal divorced Luanne and married Carolyn Robinson, with whom he had three children: John Allen (named for Kerouac and Ginsberg), Cathy, and Jamie. In 1958 he was sent to prison for two years for offering marijuana to a policeman. In the early 1960s he met Ken Kesey, a writer who was experimenting with LSD and testing the society's limits with his band of friends, the Merry Pranksters. Neal joined them and participated in the Acid Tests, Kesey's spectacles of LSD, light, and sound. As "Speed Limit," the driver of the Prankster's bus, "Further," he became a cultural hero to a new generation, bridging the gap from the Beats to the sixties counterculture.
Not long after breaking with the Pranksters, in 1968, Cassady died after leaving a wedding party and walking down the railroad tracks in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, a victim of a mix of drugs and alcohol. He was four days shy of his 42nd birthday.
Carolyn CassadyNeal Cassady's second wife.Read an interview with Carolyn Cassady Carolyn Cassady's aliases in Kerouac's books Cathy CassadyNeal & Carolyn Cassady's daughter.Cathy Cassady's aliases in Kerouac's books Jamie CassadyNeal & Carolyn Cassady's daughter.Jamie Cassady's aliases in Kerouac's books John Allen CassadyNeal & Carolyn Cassady's son, named after Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.John Allen Cassady's aliases in Kerouac's books Hal ChaseHal Chase was a friend of Jack Kerouac at Columbia. He was from Denver and was a friend of Neal Cassady before moving to New York. Chase related stories of his New York friends to Cassady, who decided to go to the Big Apple for a visit. It was in New York in 1946 that Chase introduced Cassady to Ginsberg and Kerouac.Hal Chase's aliases in Kerouac's books Gregory CorsoGregory Corso was born in New York in 1930. He began writing poetry as a teenager while he was serving time in prison on a robbery charge. He and Allen Ginsberg struck up an acquaintance in a Greenwich Village bar, and Ginsberg, impressed with Corso's writing, invited him to join Ginsberg's circle of friends, which included Jack Kerouac. His first book was "The Vestal Lady on Brattle," published in 1955. It was followed by "Gasoline," "The Happy Birthday of Death," and many others.Gregory Corso biography & links Gregory Corso's aliases in Kerouac's books Gregory Corso books for sale Elise CowenElise Cowen's aliases in Kerouac's booksHenri CruHenri Cru met Jack Kerouac at Horace Mann (prep school). Later on he introduced Kerouac to Edie Parker, who was to become Kerouac's first wife. In San Francisco Cru got Kerouac a job as a guard, a time which is described in "On the Road."Henri Cru's aliases in Kerouac's books Diane di PrimaDiane di Prima books for saleKirby DoyleKirby Doyle page with photos, links, biblography, etc.Robert DuncanRobert Duncan's aliases in Kerouac's booksLawrence FerlinghettiLawrence Ferlinghetti's aliases in Kerouac's booksLawrence Ferlinghetti books for sale Bill GarverBill Garver was a friend of William Burroughs. He was a morphine addict and lived in Mexico City.Bill Garver's aliases in Kerouac's books Allen GinsbergAllen Ginsberg's aliases in Kerouac's booksAllen Ginsberg books for sale Louis GinsbergAllen Ginsberg's father, he was a poet in his own right.Louis Ginsberg's aliases in Kerouac's books Louis Ginsberg books for sale Joyce GlassmanJoyce Glassman's aliases in Kerouac's booksDiana HansenDiana Hansen was a wealthy, married New Yorker who became involved with Neal Cassady in 1949, while he was married to Carolyn and still seeing LuAnne. She became pregnant with Neal's child, and in order to make the child legitimate, he travelled to Mexico to obtain a quick divorce (which he apparently never actually got). He married Diana in New York and their child, Curtis, was born in November 1950.Diana Hansen's aliases in Kerouac's books Howard HartHoward Hart page with photos, links, biblography, etc.Howard Hart books for sale Joan HavertyJoan Haverty was Kerouac's second wife. She had previously been involved with Bill Cannastra. The marriage to Kerouac lasted just a few months, from November 1950 to early 1951.Joan Haverty's aliases in Kerouac's books LuAnne HendersonLuAnne Henderson was Neal Cassady's first wife. She married Neal at age fifteen, and their marriage was annulled in 1947 in order for Neal to be able to marry Carolyn, whom he had been seeing for some time, and who was pregnant. She continued to see Neal, even after his marriage to Carolyn. As "Marylou" she's a major character in "On the Road."Luanne Henderson's aliases in Kerouac's books Al HinkleAl Hinkle's aliases in Kerouac's booksHelen HinkleAl Hinkle's wife.Helen Hinkle's aliases in Kerouac's books John Clellon HolmesJohn Clellon Holmes wrote the first Beat novel, "Go." His "This is the Beat Generation" appeared in Time Magazine on November 16, 1952, and was the first attempt at defining the new attitude that Holmes saw in the group around him. In a conversation with Holmes, Kerouac coined the term "Beat Generation" in a an attempt to explain the weariness with conventions of traditional society that he saw in the current generation.John Clellon Holmes' aliases in Kerouac's books Herbert HunckeHuncke was a close friend of William Burroughs. He was a heroin addict and thief who was also a talented storyteller. He published his autobiography, "Guilty of Everything," in 1990. His other books include "The Evening Sky Turned Crimson," "Huncke's Journal," and "The Herbert Huncke Reader."Herbert Huncke's aliases in Kerouac's books Natalie JacksonA girlfriend of Neal Cassady's in 1954 & 1955, she also modeled for painter Robert LaVigne. Tragically, in November '55, in a hysterical state, she slit her throat and climbed to the roof of a building, from where, despite the best efforts of the police, she flung herself to her death.Natalie Jackson's aliases in Kerouac's books Frank JeffriesFrank Jeffries' aliases in Kerouac's booksTed JoansTed Joans was born on July 4, 1928 in Cairo, Illinois and passed away in his home in Vancouver, British Columbia on April 25, 2003. Though first associated with the Beat Generation in New York in the 1950s and 1960s, Ted was also a jazz poet & musician, and a Surrealist poet & artist (having been proclaimed the only African-American Surrealist by Andre Breton). Ted was an inveterate traveler, spending great amounts of time in Europe & Africa. For more than a decade before his death, he lived in Paris, Seattle & Vancouver with the Surrealist artist Laura Corsiglia.Ted is remembered on this site with an ongoing tribute - please see our TED JOANS LIVES! pages for memories, thoughts, poems, and photos contributed by his friends & associates. For biographical information, obituaries, links, & other pertinent info, please check out the Ted Joans page. You might also like to visit Ted's own website, which was not finished at the time of his death. We also have Ted Joans books for sale, including many signed copies. Kay Johnson, aka KaJaKay Johnson was a poet & painter. City Lights Books published her volume of poetry, Human Songs. An expatriate, she lived at the Beat Hotel in Paris for a time. We have dedicated a webpage to her and are looking for additional information about her life, or her current whereabouts.Visit the Kay Johnson (Kaja) webpage here David KammererKammerer was a friend of Burroughs who was obsessively in in love with Lucien Carr. He followed Carr to Columbia & stalked him. Eventually his obsession led to his death, as, on a warm summer night in 1944 he threatened Carr's life & Carr responded by stabbing him and throwing him in the Hudson River.David Kammerer's aliases in Kerouac's books Lenore KandelLenore Kandel's first, and most famous book of poetry was "The Love Book," (1966) which caused much controversy upon its publication due to its sexual topics and language. Her second book, "Word Alchemy," was published in 1967. In the 1970s she stopped publishing.Lenore Kandel's aliases in Kerouac's books Jack KerouacKerouac characters - real names / aliasesKerouac characters - aliases / real names Jack Kerouac's aliases for himself in his books A basic Jack Kerouac bibliography, by date written Kerouac's Duluoz legend Kerouac bibliography, by date published the Kerouac "On the Road" scroll auction Jack Kerouac books for sale Leo KerouacJack Kerouac's father.Leo Kerouac's aliases in Kerouac's books Gabrielle KerouacJack Kerouac's mother.Gabrielle Kerouac's aliases in Kerouac's books Gerard KerouacGerard was Jack's beloved older brother, who died at the age of nine of rheumatic fever. Kerouac's family and the parish nuns spoke of Gerard as a saint. Jack was absolutely devoted to Gerard, and Gerard's death greatly affected Jack throughout his life.Gerard Kerouac's aliases in Kerouac's books Caroline KerouacCaroline, nicknamed "Nin," was Kerouac's older sister. She married Paul Blake and they had a child together, Paul Blake, Jr. Her family lived in Florida.Caroline Kerouac's aliases in Kerouac's books Ken KeseyPlease see our tribute to Ken Kesey, who passed away on November 10, 2001, at the age of 66. It includes, biography, bibliography, photos & links.Perhaps Ken Kesey is best known for his work One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a novel symbolizing the corruption of freedoms in America, but a generation or more has been influenced more by "Further," the bus on which the Kesey and the Merry Pranksters traveled the country in search for expansion. The sixties' flower power and psychedelia are direct descendants of Kesey and his group. While the government was trying to "lobotomize" its citizenry, Kesey and the Pranksters sought to liberate and expand them through crystallized perception and broadened horizons. As a graduate student at Stanford, Kesey was a volunteer for a government research group, which was designed to determine the effects of LSD and other psychotropic drugs, which were legal at the time. Once introduced to the effects of hallucinogens, Kesey designed parties themed around music and visually disorienting stimuli, also known as the Acid Tests. Famous participants in these gatherings were Neal Cassady, Hunter S. Thompson, the Hells Angels, and members of the Grateful Dead. Touring the country in 1964, the Merry Pranksters made mischief and introduced the new, wild lifestyle to the teen culture, and formed what would become a movement of peace, love and drug use, on a scale never seen before. Driving the bus, Neal Cassady took the Merry Pranksters to New York, where Kesey met Alan Ginsberg (who took immediately to the chaotic bunch) and Timothy Leary (another LSD legend, who took no interest in the group). Kesey filmed much of this period, but it was Tom Wolfe who wrote about it in The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, a document of his time spent with the Merry Pranksters near the end of their ride. Soon, the US Government banned the substances and the Merry Pranksters became outlaws. Kesey fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution, and was arrested for possession of marijuana when the gang returned for another go in 1966. In addition to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Kesey's works include Sometimes A Great Notion, the publication of which was the reason for the original cross-country trip to New York. In retrospect, Kesey is the Golden Gate Bridge connecting the Beats in City Lights to the Hippies in Haight-Ashbury. -- Jason Reott
Please see our Ken Kesey tribute page (photos, links, books, etc.) Philip LamantiaLamantia was a surrealist poet, living in San Francisco. Lamantia passed away in 2005. He was one of the featured poets at the famous Six Gallery Reading in 1955, where he read not his own work, but rather that of a recently-deceased friend, John Hoffman.Philip Lamantia's aliases in Kerouac's books Robert LaVigneRobert LaVigne was one of the few painters associated with the Beats. In 1953 Peter Orlovsky became LaVigne's model & lover. In 1954, after Allen Ginsberg expressed admiration for a painting of Orlovsky, LaVigne introduced the two. Ginsberg & Orlovsky soon became lovers & moved in together, beginning a lifelong relationship. Robert LaVigne currently lives in Seattle, and his work continues to be exhibited.Robert LaVigne's aliases in Kerouac's books Michael McClureMichael McClure bibliography with photos, chronologicalMichael McClure bibliography, text-only, chronological Michael McClure bibliogaphy, alphabetical terms used in the McClure bibliography THERE'S A WORD!~ a CD by Michael McClure & Ray Manzarek PLUM STONES ~ a collection of poetry by Michael McClure Michael McClure's aliases in Kerouac's books Michael McClure books for sale Locke McCorkleLocke McCorkle was a carpenter who lived next to the house Jack Kerouac and Gary Snyder shared in Mill Valley. McCorkle was a Buddhist and he quickly became friends with Kerouac.Locke McCorkle's aliases in Kerouac's books Jack MichelineCheck out A.D. Winans Remembers Jack Micheline, elsewhere on our website, for a terrific Micheline biography / essay.John MontgomeryJohn Montgomery's aliases in Kerouac's booksPeter OrlovskyPeter Orlovsky was Allen Ginsberg's lover for many years and has published several volumes of his own poetry.Peter Orlovsky's aliases in Kerouac's books Edie ParkerEdie Parker was Kerouac's first wife; their marriage lasted only a few months. She was in love with him, but he didn't want to marry her, and did so mainly so she'd give him bail money. (He'd been arrested for helping Lucien Carr dispose of the weapon used to kill Kammerer.) Edie was the one who originally introduced Kerouac to Carr. She and Joan Vollmer were roommates for a time.Edie Parker's aliases in Kerouac's books Will PetersenAn accomplished artist, in the late 1950s Will Petersen became acquainted with other Beat Generation figures in the Bay Area, including Gary Snyder, Michael McClure, Philip Whalen, Allen Ginsberg & Jack Kerouac. In 1956 he printed poems for Kerouac and attended the famed Six Gallery reading. From 1957-1965 he lived in Japan, where he immersed himself in art (especially printmaking) and writing, and worked on the 2nd series of Origin with Cid Corman. Petersen later taught art & printmaking at Ohio State University and West Virginia University. He and his wife, Cynthia Archer (also an artist), began Plucked Chicken Press, which specialized in lithographic prints The press also published 6 issues the journal Plucked Chicken from 1978-1980. Petersen passed away in Chicago in 1994.Will Petersen's aliases in Kerouac's books Books from the collection of Will Petersen for sale Dan PropperAlthough Dan Propper's work has appeared in many poetry magazines and anthologies over the years, his three books: The Fable of the Final Hour (Queens, N.Y.: Energy Press, 1958); The Tale of the Amazing Tramp (Cherry Valley, N.Y.: Cherry Valley Editions, 1977); and For Kerouac in Heaven (Queens, N.Y.:Energy Press, 1980) have long been out-of-print. They are well worth seeking out to any collector of Beat Literature as Propper was very much a part of the Beat milieu on both coasts during the late Fifties and early Sixties. He is best remembered for his long poem, " The Fable of the Final Hour, " which appeared in the Seymour Krim anthology The Beats (Fawcett Publications, Inc. 1960). Originally self published when he was only twenty-two years old, its inclusion in the Krim anthology gained Propper some literary recognition. It was subsequently translated into many languages and should be considered one of the primary Beat documents of its time. His later, more mature work written during the Sixties and Seventies is collected in The Tale of the Amazing Tramp and For Kerouac in Heaven. The former may not be so difficult to find today as many of the Cherry Valley Editions are still available; the latter is much more difficult to find as it was originally published as a limited edition of 217 copies, all numbered and signed by the poet."Propper knew poet Jack Micheline in New York; he knew Jack Kerouac and Ginsberg in San Francisco; and Charles Plymell back in New York." Like Howard Hart, Jack Micheline and many of the other Beat poets, Propper considered himself a jazz poet and he did "three major jazz readings; one in 1958 with Thelonious Monk, another that same year in Houston with Dizzy Gillespie, and a third in 1960 with the Jazz Quartet on a half-hour nationwide CBS broadcast out of St. Louis." One wonders whether tapes of this broadcast still exist? The Dictionary of Literary Biography contains an excellent introduction to Dan Propper by poet Hugh Fox. Another anthology that contains a modest selection of Propper's poetry is 19 + 1, An Anthology of San Francisco Poetry (Second Coming Press, 1978) edited by A.D. Winans. A selection of Propper's translations of Pablo Neruda's poetry was also published by Energy Press in 1977. Propper is a remarkable poet whose work deserves to be more widely know not only to Beat enthusiasts and collectors, but to all readers of contemporary poetry. -- John DeCarolis
Dan Propper books for sale
Kenneth RexrothKenneth Rexroth's aliases in Kerouac's booksGary SnyderGary Snyder was introduced to Kerouac readers in The Dharma Bums, as Japhy Ryder, the "number one Dharma Bum of them all." It was Snyder, according to Kerouac, who coined the phrase. No biography of Snyder could ever be as comprehensive and illusive as the man himself. Snyder attained degrees in literature and anthropology, at Reed College, as well as advanced education at Berkeley, in Oriental languages. Classmates at Reed College included Beat poets Lew Welch and Philip Whalen.In 1956, Snyder traveled to Kyoto, Japan, for what would be a ten-year stint in Asia. The time spent in Asia readily shows itself in Snyder's poems, infused as they are with the appreciation of the sublime as well as the simple. Suffice it to say that of all the poets, writers, and bodhisattvas that sprung from the San Francisco Beat movement, Snyder is perhaps the most ecological and ethereal. Snyder's work is a tribute to both the "extasy and enstasy," the external joy of the world of nature, and the internal, spiritual joy of the world of the self. Struggles of mankind's inner debauchery mesh and swirl, mixing with the breathy and cool visions of serene mountains and starry skies. Always an awakener, or Buddha, and a teacher, Snyder joined the UC Davis faculty in 1985. His title Turtle Island won a Pulitzer Prize, and he continues his career from his perch in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Ever the mountaineer. -- Jason Reott
Gary Snyder's aliases in Kerouac's books
Gary Snyder books for sale Allan TemkoAllan Temko was born in New York in 1924, and passed away in Orinda, California on January 25, 2006 at the age of 81.Temko met Kerouac at Columbia University; his obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle describes him as "one of the few friends that Kerouac's mother approved of." He appears in On the Road in the guise of Roland Major, whom Kerouac describes "in his silk dressing gown composing his latest Hemingwayan short story -- a choleric, red-faced, pudgy hater of everything, who could turn on the warmest and most charming smile in the world when real life confronted him sweetly in the night."
A writer of both novels and nonfiction, he is perhaps best known and as the outspoken architecture critic for the San Francisco Chronicle. He won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 1990.
Ed UhlEd Uhl aliases in Kerouac's booksJoan VollmerJoan Vollmer & Edie Parker were roommates. She married William S. Burroughs, and they had two children. Burroughs accidentally killed Joan in Mexico on September 6, 1951. One night he reportedly announced to friends that he was going to perform his "William Tell act," had Joan put a glass on her head, and fired a shot. Tragically, he missed, shooting her in the face.Joan Vollmer's aliases in Kerouac's books Anne WaldmanThough Anne Waldman is not a Beat writer herself, she has been closely identified with the Beats for many years. A poet, essayist & editor, in 1974, with Allen Ginsberg, she co-founded the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, where she is Distinguished Professor of Poetics. She is a dynamic performer has given readings worldwide.books for sale by Anne Waldman Alan WattsAuthor, editor, broadcaster, and an expert on comparative religion. Through his books & radio show, Alan Watts helped bring Buddhism & other Eastern philosophies to an American audience. Among his 20 published books is "Beat Zen, Square Zen & Zen," which first appeared in The Chicago Review & was later published as a chapbook. Living in the Bay Area, Watts met & interacted with a number of the Beats, and appears as a character in Kerouac's books Desolation Angels & Big Sur.Alan Watts' aliases in Kerouac's books Lew WelchLew Welch's aliases in Kerouac's booksPhilip WhalenPhilip Whalen's aliases in Kerouac's booksPhilip Whalen information & links Philip Whalen books for sale |