“When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes I all alone beweep my outcast state. And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries. And look upon myself and curse my fate …” --- William Shakespeare, Sonnet 29 “If you believe … [Read more...]
Richard’s Coat: Remembering Richard Irwin
Richard’s Coat… went into the cardboard box with all the other things for the thrift store: an orange radio with a broken antenna, a vintage purse that was only in fashion in San Francisco’s Haight Street where I had spent my younger days - some … [Read more...]
Translating the Counterculture: The Reception of the Beats in Turkey by Erik Mortenson, reviewed by Marc Olmsted
TRANSLATING THE COUNTERCULTURE The Reception of the Beats in Turkey by Erik Mortenson / Southern Illinois University Press / 978-0809336548 / 2018 The premise is a fascinating one. Erik Mortenson actually was IN Turkey during its attempted coup in … [Read more...]
Now What’s Wrong? Reflections on Allen Ginsberg’s Cosmopolitan Greetings: Poems 1986-1992
After the accomplishments of late nineteenth and early twentieth century experimentalists Whitman, Dickinson, Rimbaud, and the Modernist poets Apollinaire, Cendrars, Mayakovsky, Stevens, Williams, H.D., Lorca, Vallejo and Neruda---every poet runs the … [Read more...]
Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg: A Story of Influences
The well-known link between Allen Ginsberg and Walt Whitman comes from both Ginsberg's readers and Ginsberg himself. One of the first explicit mentions of Walt Whitman in Ginsberg's published poetry is to be found in a 1954 poem entitled “Siesta in Xbalba … [Read more...]
Jack Kerouac: Avatar of American Buddhism
"I have nothing to offer but my own confusion." -- JK It is intriguing that secular, educated Americans often have difficulty with the rituals and story of Christianity, seeing it as irrational, but eagerly read their horoscope or find new age morality … [Read more...]
The Guardian and the Familiar: William S. Burroughs and Cats
“O fiery river “Spread over this American land. “Drown out the falsity, the smug contempt “For what does not pay … “What would you pay Christ to die again?” -- Kenneth Patchen, from “O Fiery River” William Burroughs has to look after his cats. … [Read more...]
I, Too, at the Beginning by Ted Joans
I, Too, at the Beginning I am the early Black Beat I read with some of the Best Beat minds When the Apple was Beat Generating I lived in Greenwich Village I was there Where I read poems and painted poetry Whilst worthy constituents Dwelled … [Read more...]
And When I Die, I Won’t Stay Dead: a review of the Bob Kaufman documentary
THE POET KNOWS HE MUST WRITE THE TRUTH, EVEN IF HE IS KILLED FOR IT, FOR THE SPHINX CANNOT BE DENIED -- Bob Kaufman, "THE POET" The life and times of Bob Kaufman, the influential and defiant Beat poet, are chronicled in Billy Woodberry's … [Read more...]
Neeli Cherkovski’s Elegy For My Beat Generation, reviewed by Yannis Livadas
Elegy For My Beat Generation by Neeli Cherkovski / Lithic Press / 978-0-9975017-9-7 The Beat Generation as a literary phenomenon was over, or more correctly, was completed, with the last works of Jack Kerouac. Its poetical and prose heritage, … [Read more...]
The Intersection of Buddhism and the Beat Generation
The 1950s in America was not a period known for its religious diversity. The spiritual consumerism that we know today had yet to be established and the post-War era was defined by adherence to familial and traditional values, including a religious … [Read more...]
Book Review — First Thought: Conversations with Allen Ginsberg
First Thought: Conversations with Allen Ginsberg edited by Michael Schumacher / University of Minnesota Press / March 17, 2017 / 978-0816699179 Michael Schumacher is one of the major scholars of Allen Ginsberg, and has thus far written the best … [Read more...]
(Part I) The Jack Kerouac School(girl) of Disembodied Poetics
This is the first excerpt of six. Here are all of the installments: Part I · Part II · Part III · Part IV · Part V · Part VI “I wrote my memoir at the request of my sweetheart Sam, who said he wanted to ‘know … [Read more...]
Anything Can Happen: Bruno Sourdin in conversation with Gary Cummiskey
Bruno Sourdin is a French poet and collagist. He was born in 1950 in the Mont-Saint-Michel area. After studying journalism in Paris, he travelled in Morocco, Egypt, and India. He now lives in Normandy. His first collection of poems, Les Haillons … [Read more...]
BOB KAUFMAN poet of ecstatic litany
BOB KAUFMAN poet of ecstatic litany Bob Kaufman’s poetry of jazz echoes Bob Kaufman is a traveler of deep space Bob Kaufman is a holder of many sorrows Bob Kaufman in syncopated dream chanter Bob Kaufman speaks from his flawless memory Bob … [Read more...]
Out to Lunch with William Burroughs: Who Owns the Dropper Owns the Fix
It was summer 1991, I think, when sharing a joint on a brick fire escape after a night of acid-tapped cartoon lunacy, my friend Steve exhaled smoke into the Manchester morning and casually asked if I’d heard of a writer called William Burroughs. I hadn’t, … [Read more...]
In Jay DeFeo ‘s Voice: Six Poems by Beth Spencer
The following poems are written in the voice of Bay Area artist Jay DeFeo (1929-89), most famous for her huge painting THE ROSE but whose works included sculptures, jewelry, photography and many drawings as well. She was one of the bridge figures … [Read more...]
Prelude to Big Sur: Kerouac in Spring & Summer 1960
It is sunny, no humidity in the late spring of 1960. A brisk breeze blows in Northport, Long Island where Jack Kerouac has made his home with his mother for two years now. He sits in his yard reading his copy of Suranguma Sutra: What suffers … [Read more...]
Beatnik / Kerouac and Rock ‘n Roll: Two essays by Juan Arabia
Beatnik The origin of "beat" is as a word of oral usage, closer to experience; in its meaning of "beat down" it suggests the being as defeated or battered down. It points toward a certain continuation--open to the world--of the body that breaks with … [Read more...]
Bowls with Bowles: A meeting with Paul Bowles in Tangier, 1980
In June of 1980 my manuscript submission had won me a place in the School of Visual Arts pilot program of study with writer/composer Paul Bowles in Tangier, Morocco. At the time of my acceptance to the program I was working as a regional reporter at … [Read more...]
A.D. Winans Remembers Bob Kaufman
Bob Kaufman, known in France as the American Rimbaud, was one of the original Beat poets to come out of the Fifties. He is rightfully regarded as one of the most influential black poets of his era, but his poetry transcends any race identification. In … [Read more...]
Neal and Carolyn Cassady’s house at 29 Russell St., San Francisco
It’s been about ten years now since I saw Beat legends Neal and Carolyn Cassady’s house. It was such a thrill for me; I can remember it perfectly. My old friends Kirstin and Colin, from Alaska had just moved down to San Francisco the year before in 1998, … [Read more...]
For Beat’s Sake: An Interview with Carolyn Cassady
We all live inside history, and Carolyn Cassady has seen her share. Ms. Cassady was gracious and open when she sat for an interview at her home in Monte Sereno, not far from Los Gatos. Carolyn Cassady, best known for her relationships with husband … [Read more...]
Dearly Beloved, Part I: Growing up in 1950s San Francisco
In San Francisco, a handsome old Lutheran Church is for sale. My "Beat Generation", progressive, bohemian, intellectual, Jewish, left-leaning, scholarly, non-conformist, art professor parents, Leonard and Helen Breger, are deeply devout prolific artists. … [Read more...]
Translations of three poems by Helle Busacca
Helle Busacca (1915-1996) was born in Messina and moved with her family to Bergamo as a young child. She spent her working life as a high school teacher in various cities in Italy and ultimately settled in Florence in 1971. Eugenio Montale and Corrado … [Read more...]
October Ghost
The smudged days of October—when my mood is hand in hand with the weather—remind me of Jack Kerouac. He died in October, on the 21st, and the anniversary of that day always comes and goes like a local subway suddenly gone express. I watch it pass, … [Read more...]
Ted Joans website in works; photos sought!
For several years, there's been a very small, basic website devoted to Ted Joans. Now, it's time to go big. The new website will launch in April 2015. But, before that happens, I need to track down some photos and information. We'll be sure to credit … [Read more...]
Book Review — Ivy League Bohemians
Note: Ivy League Bohemians is no longer available. However, Alison's new book on the same topic, The Jack Kerouac School(girl) of Disembodied Poetics, has been serialized in Empty Mirror. It is an irony of the Beat Generation and New York Schools that … [Read more...]
The Howl Hat
My friend Sylvain went to San Francisco recently and brought us back some souvenirs as gifts. One of the places he'd visited on his trip had been City Lights Books. He brought me a t-shirt from there. And he also brought me one of the most complicated … [Read more...]
The Road Toward Visions of Cody
In March 2015, Jack Kerouac's masterpiece, Visions of Cody, will be reprinted by Library of America (along with Visions of Gerard and Big Sur). Edited by Todd Tietchen, the novel has been extensively annotated with notes and a number of editorial … [Read more...]
Beat Generation Poet to Get New Voice with Kickstarter Campaign
A collection of rare and out-of-print interviews with Gregory Corso, one of the founders of the Beat movement in American literature Arlington, MA, February 11, 2015 -- After five years of research and editing, Rick Schober, publisher at Tough … [Read more...]
Vast Regions from Nowhere: Paul Bowles, Unfathered Authors, Mother-Bonded Sons
“I think that having spent my life trying to hide everything from everyone, I’ve ended up by no longer being able to find many things myself. Seriously.” —Paul Bowles, 1975 The Core “Other people’s indifference is the only horror.” —Paul Bowles, … [Read more...]
Jack Kerouac’s “Strange Cemetery in Jamaica”
--- from a work-in-progress, I, Duluoz!: An Appreciation of Jack Kerouac If I had to pick my favorite poem of Jack Kerouacʼs, it would be “Strange Cemetery in Jamaica” published in Some of the Dharma (1997). Strangely, or even tragically, it was … [Read more...]
An interview on Jack Kerouac and Library of America
March 2015 will mark the occasion of the publication of the third volume of Jack Kerouac works published by Library of America. I took this occasion to catch up with editor, Todd Tietchen, assistant professor of English at University of Massachusetts … [Read more...]
The Great Consciousness of Life
Reaching in, pulling out. The great divide is conquered; and there lies an ever-evolving mission to extract meaning from chaos. This, then, is where it resides, the theater of the soul and the heart. In rewriting my biography of Jack Kerouac, I found … [Read more...]
Celebrate the life of Herbert Huncke!
Please come celebrate the life of Herbert Huncke on Friday, January 16, 2015, 7pm at the Beat Museum in San Francisco. Herbert Huncke was born in 1915; let's mark the centennial of his birth together! Participants include: Hilary Holladay, author of … [Read more...]
Wordsworth and the Beats: The Longevity of Influence
Although William Wordsworth once stated that he was “not a critic” and, in fact, “set little value upon the art” (Leitch 556), in his “Preface to Lyrical Ballads” he nevertheless proposed and discussed several controversial ideas that would become key … [Read more...]
Herbert Gold Kicks off his Tenth Decade with his 20th Novel
Jorvik Press has some exciting news: What does a prizewinning author do when he’s about to enter his tenth decade with a track record of more than 30 books, sound of mind and body, full of ideas, and still obsessed with characters he’s been developing … [Read more...]
William S. Burroughs centennial events at Lake Forest College
You are invited to join Lake Forest College in celebrating the 100th birthday of William S. Burroughs Lake Forest College, located in Lake Forest, Illinois, is helping to curate a series of events connected to the William S. Burroughs … [Read more...]
Calling on Paul Bowles: Tangier, Morocco, August 1979
Calling on Paul Bowles Tangier, Morocco, August 1979 ”There it is,” someone says, and in the darkness, in the distance, you can see Tangier sprawled across several hills, a white city illuminated by electric lights and veiled by a thin fog. … [Read more...]
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