Synopses & Reviews
In these uncollected writings Jack Kerouac portrays himself in his life. He hitches a ride to San Francisco with a blonde, goes on the road with photographer Robert Frank, rides bus through the Northwest and Montana, records the blues of an old Negro hobo, talks about the Beats and how it all began, gives his "Essentials of Spontaneous Prose" and defends his novel The Subterraneans, compares Shakespeare and James Joyce, describes the cafeterias and subways of Manhattan, goes to a ballgame and a prize fight, and reflects on Christmas in New England, on Murnau's Nosferatu, on jazz and bop, and tells us what he's thinking about.Table of Contents
Walking to Eden
Optical Terror
The Impossible Genus
On Returning from Chiapas
Alphabets and Emperors
Optical Pleasure
Haunting by Water
Mapping Paris
The Monstrous and the Marvelous
The Death Cunt of Deep Dell
Sortilege
Books of Nature
A Dream
Manifesto in Voices
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
Synopsis
In these uncollected writings Jack Kerouac has left us a portrait of himself in his life. He hitches a ride to San Francisco from Southern California with a beautiful blonde, goes on the road with photographer Robert Frank, rides a bus through the Northwest and Montana, records the blues of an old hobo, talks about the Beats and how it all began, gives his "Essentials of Spontaneous Prose" and defends his novel The Subterraneans, compares Shakespeare and James Joyce, goes to a ball game and a prize fight, and reflects on Celine, on Christmas in New England, on jazz & bop, and tells us what he's thinking about. And in the closing piece "cityCityCITY," we're treated to Jack's science fiction vision of the future."
"Reading now these various pieces, with all their substantial details so characteristic of Jack's work, I think of particular and how much a part of his way of being with others his attention really was . . ." --Robert Creeley, preface
"Kerouac offers observations on the Beat Generation, tying it to beatitude and lamenting its appropriation by the Hollywood borscht circuit.' His advice on writing is both incisively amusing (Try never get drunk outside yr own house') and perhaps unhelpful to the less talented (sketching language is . . . blowing' like a jazz musician)." --Publishers Weekly
Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) was a principal actor in the Beat Generation, a companion of Allen Ginsberg and Neal Cassady in that great adventure. His books include On the Road, The Dharma Bums, Mexico City Blues, Lonesome Traveler, Visions of Cody, Pomes All Sizes (City Lights), Scattered Poems (City Lights), and Scripture of the Golden Eternity (City Lights).
Synopsis
In these uncollected writings Jack Kerouac portrays himself in his life. He hitches a ride to San Francisco with a blonde, goes on the road with photographer Robert Frank, rides bus through the Northwest and Montana, records the blues of an old Negro hobo, talks about the Beats and how it all began, gives his "Essentials of Spontaneous Prose" and defends his novel The Subterraneans, compares Shakespeare and James Joyce, describes the cafeterias and subways of Manhattan, goes to a ballgame and a prize fight, and reflects on Christmas in New England, on Murnau's Nosferatu, on jazz &bop, and tells us what he's thinking about.
Table of ContentsWalking to Eden
Optical Terror
The Impossible Genus
On Returning from Chiapas
Alphabets and Emperors
Optical Pleasure
Haunting by Water
Mapping Paris
The Monstrous and the Marvelous
The Death Cunt of Deep Dell
Sortilege
Books of Nature
A Dream
Manifesto in Voices
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
Synopsis
Cultural Writing. Autobiography. Essay. In this book of previously uncollected writings, Jack Kerouac gives us another helping of his unique autobiographical storytelling and idiosyncratic takes on life. In these musings and stories we see Kerouac as he hitches a ride to San Francisco with a blonde, goes on the road with photographer Robert Frank, rides a bus through the Northwest and Montana, reflects on the Beats and jazz and bop and provides "Essentials of Spontaneous Prose," throws in a comparison of Shakespeare and James Joyce for good measure, and generally responds throughout the book to the prompt "What Am I Thinking About?" Kerouac's science fiction vision of the future, "cityCityCITY," has been added to this newly revised edition.