LATEST BEAT

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Last amended - February 7th, 2010

I'm hoping this fairly new publication will do well. Devoted to Charles Bukowski and published in English from The Netherlands. Contact purpleglowpress@hotmail.com

Now and then I put down the Beat Generation books and look at something completely different. Jack O'Connell is a reader of Beat Scene but in his spare time he is an American writer with a string of imaginative novels to his name. The Resurrectionist is a recent example. Published by Algonquin Books, the novel is not quite what it appears. Weird and wonderful. Recommended.

LONDON CALLING: A COUNTERCULTURAL HISTORY OF LONDON SINCE 1945, a new book by biographer Barry Miles. Just issued by Atlantic Books. See www.atlantic-books.co.uk

Roy Kotynek and John Cohassey have a fascinating book which takes in the Beats as well as much more  - see http://americanavantgarde.com/

     ABSENCE OF THE HERO is a new collection of essays from Charles Bukowski. Published by City Lights. Go to www.citylights.com for more

  There is a brand new book about Seymour Krim edited by Mark Cohen. Find out about it at this link here http://www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu/spring-2010/missing-a-beat.html

BEATNIKS: A GUIDE TO AN AMERICAN SUBSCULTURE by Alan Bisport is published by The Greenwood Press. A serious and detailed book, dismantling all those lazy stereotypes. A good resource in hardback. www.abc-clio.com

This review featured in the New York Times last Sunday, January 17. The review is by Tara McKelvey

THE AWAKENER
A Memoir of Kerouac and the Fifties.
By Helen Weaver.
City Lights, paper, $16.95.
 

Weaver met Jack Kerouac in November 1956 and found him “absurdly handsome,” writing in her memoir that he had “a high forehead with a lock of hair that fell over it” and “a kind of perpetual squint, as if too much light was coming into his eyes.” They had a tumultuous two-month affair, and she recalls their fights as well as the tender moments, like those during their first night together: “I can still hear the way he muttered ‘perfect breasts’ under his breath, as if he were talking to himself or taking notes in one of his little nickel pads.” She paints a romantic picture of Greenwich Village in the 1950s and ’60s, when she worked in publishing and hung out with Allen Ginsberg  and the poet Richard Howard and was wild and loose, getting high and falling into bed almost immediately with her crushes, includingLenny Bruce. Kerouac, of course, was averse to editing, claiming: “Writing comes from God. Once you put it down, it’s a sin to go back and change it!” Weaver, now a noted translator, would have been wise to edit — or, better yet, delete — passages on astrology, Buddhist practices and “animal communication.” Nevertheless, the book is a pleasure to read. Her descriptions of the Village are evocative, recalling a time when she wore “long skirts, Capezio ballet shoes and black stockings,” and used to “sit in the Bagatelle and have sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist of lemon.” Early on, she quotes Pasternak: “You in others: this is your soul.” Kerouac’s soul lives on through many people — Joyce Johnson, for one — but few have been as adept as Weaver at capturing both him and the New York bohemia of the time. He was lucky to have met her.

English journalist Stephen Maughan has an article about the latest developments in the Kerouac Estate wrangle in Fine Books magazine. Photo of Kerouac's nephew Paul Blake and his daughter Jan. http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/issue/201001/kerouac-1.phtml

Interesting link to a review on the newish film ONE FAST MOVE and the music that accompanies it - unlikely music some might say, not especially 'jazzy' - read it and see. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-ca-jack-kerouac3-2010jan03,0,1033786.story

Jay Atkinson's forthcoming book on Jack Kerouac, Paradise Road, out March 2010.

Go to Jay's own site for news of this book http://www.jayatkinson.com/paradiseroad.html

  The film ONE FAST MOVE OR I'M GONE, a documentary about Jack Kerouac and Big Sur, is soon to be in cinemas across America. Sadly Europe will have to wait. Click here to see where you can see it in the coming weeks in the USA. http://dandeentertainment.com/kerouacsbigsur/

In an age where used bookstores are fast becoming a distant memory, remember the simple pleasure of just browsing through piles of old books, never knowing what surprises might be at the bottom of that box? Well, for a few years now, an ex longtime senior partner at the sadly missed Compendium Bookshop in London's Camden Town has been operating Labyrinth Bookshop in Glastonbury High Street with his partner. I've visited this used bookstore a few times and Glastonbury, for those that have never been, has a charm all of its own.  Nice place. A used bookstore that is fighting the corporate march. See http://www.labyrinthbooks.co.uk/ 

Poet and musician Jim Carroll has died. Go here for the New York Times obituary http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/books/14carroll.html?_r=1

And in England the daily newspaper, The Guardian, has a thoughtful obituary on him - http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/sep/22/jim-carroll-obituary

Photographer, film maker and friend to Beat Scene magazine, Chris Felver has a new film out soon. Titled simply Ferlinghetti the movie documentary is 82 minutes in duration and you can find more details on it and other good Felver stuff (including the above film) at http://www.chrisfelver.com/

Fascinating material on Bukowski, featuring Neeli Cherkovski and Jack Hirschman. Go to the City Lights bookstore site and enjoy it. http://www.citylightspodcast.com/

    ABSTRACT ALCHEMIST OF FLESH is a newly issued documentary about the life and work of Michael McClure. Filmed by Londoner Colin Still, the documentary includes rarely seen footage of McClure through the years and some previously unpublished photos. There is scarce film footage of Allen Ginsberg and others. Michael McClure is interviewed and reads from many of his books. His musical collaborator Ray Manzarek is also interviewed and the duo are filmed in rehearsal and performance. Others featured include Peter Coyote, McClure's first wife Joanna, musician Terry Riley, poet Joanne Kyger, Amy Evans McClure, (Michael's wife), Dennis Hopper and others. Beautifully filmed. For more go to www.opticnerve.co.uk

   There will be a new book of Elise Cowen poems out soon. The book will be bilingual (English/German). Most of the poems are published for the first time. It is about 220 pages

Click here for photos and reports on the recent Naked Lunch at 50 events in Paris. http://brianjonesjoujoukafestival.blogspot.com/2009/07/naked-lunch-50th-anniversary-and.html

There is an exhibit of Ed Sanders' poetry at The Arm Gallery, 281 North 7th Street between Havermeyer and Meeker in Brooklyn. See the link here for more information http://www.thearmnyc.com/news/2009/06/ed_sanders_show_at_the_arm

   Writer Barry Gifford needs no introduction from me. His connection with the Beat Generation is largely based around the biography of Jack Kerouac he did with Lawrence Lee way back and a little book KEROUAC'S TOWN that was published by Creative arts a long time ago. In an extensive interview with Noel King he talks about writing a screenplay for Francis Ford Coppola's proposed movie of Kerouac's ON THE ROAD and much more besides. He is one hell of a writer and seems to operate in a world where days last for weeks. http://jacketmagazine.com/36/iv-gifford-ivb-king.shtml

Anne Waldman sees her FIRST BABY POEMS, originally issued in 1982, republished in a lovely way by BlazeVox Books. With beautiful illustrations by George Schneeman. Contact www.blazevox.org &  editor@blazevox.org for more information. Or write to BlazeVox Books, 14 Tremaine Avenue, Kenmore, New York 14217, USA

New William Burroughs film coming in August I understand. http://www.williamsburroughsthemovie.com/

  One for all the Charles Bukowski readers out there.click on the link and enjoy the read. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19870210/PEOPLE/812229998

Just like the buses, nothing for a long time and then three at once. If they do finally track their way through the long and winding road that is film production. ON THE ROAD, HOWL and Lucien Carr will all be on our cinema screens next year. It says here. Of course Lucien Carr featured in the low key film BEAT with Keifer Sutherland and Courtney Love a year or two back. Not a lot of people seem to know that. Almost a straight to DVD type film. Click below for news.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/beat-writers-to-get-the-hollywood-treatment-1704821.html

Patrick Fenton's play about Jack Kerouac is featured on a new site at http://www.jackslastcall.com/home.html here you can see the cast, check on performances, hear a brief section from the play etc, etc. The play focuses on Jack's time in Northport. Readers of my other little magazine Transit will recall it ran an interview with Fenton and extracts from the play in a past issue.

Beat Scene subscriber Henry Olsen has his own site at http://www.henryolsen.com/ Henry was once in the band Primal Scream. Of late he has been performing and making guitar music in some unusual places around the world. He is looking to be the first musician to record in space and is in discussions with NASA about this. The Prime Minister of Norway has acted as Henry's roadie! For an interview and more, have a look at Henry's fascinating site.

There is a brand new site devoted to Ian Sinclair - go to http://www.iainsinclair.org.uk/IainSinclair/homepage.html
 

  Tom Clark has a presence on the internet at http://www.tomclarkblog.blogspot.com/

I don't usually stray far beyond the perimeter fence of the Beats, but Iain Sinclair is one writer that makes me do this. His latest vast book HACKNEY, THAT ROSE-RED EMPIRE is published by Hamish Hamilton in the UK. To see a little film of Iain talking about this book, the latest in a whole series of wonderful books from this engaging writer, click the link below. There is a Charles Olson sense of place about this huge book. Probably one of the best books in years. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/video/2009/mar/03/hackney-iain-sinclair

Mel Brooks, Joyce Johnson, Joe Lustig, Jack Kerouac, all linked - see here

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/mick_brown/blog/2009/01/02/jack_kerouac_joyce_johnson_and_my_friend_jo

Magnus Grehn has a site in Sweden and he's recently published a book by and about Irving Stettner - see it at

http://www.freddegrehn.se/irvingstettner/

    Beat Scene subscriber Stanford Forrester edits a nice looking paperback magazine that concentrates on haiku and similar, called BOTTLE ROCKETS. No 17 is out now. See www.bottlerocketspress.com for more information.

A substantial interview with Gary Snyder in an unlikely place, The New Yorker. Gary has gone down quite a little in my estimation after reading that he apparently cooks and eats bullfrogs from a pond near his home. And says 'thank you,' to his food. I'm appalled at this barbarity. Gary the animals would thank you if you left them alone. Find a link here. You won't be able to read the whole article unless you register with them.  http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/20/081020fa_fact_goodyear

For a review of the new Burroughs, Kerouac book AND THE HIPPOS WERE BOILED IN THEIR TANKS - go to the English daily newspaper The Independent at http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/the-young-generation-burroughs-and-kerouac--an-unpublished-collaboration-986188.html

BURROUGHS LIVE at The Royal Academy of Art 16 December 2008 - 19 January 2009
Burroughs Live is curated by Jose Ferez. By means of video footage, some shown here for the first time, film and artistic collaborations this exhibition aims to establish the presence of Burroughs the man and the influence that Burroughs the artist had and continues to have on several generations of artists. This exhibition will feature films such as Thanksgiving Prayer and Towers Open Fires, collaborations with artists George Condo and Keith Haring and portraits by Robert Mapplethorpe and David Hockney.

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/gsk-contemporary-season/exhibitions/collision-course/burroughs-live

If one exhibit about William Burroughs wasn't enough, why not get along to the William Burroughs exhibition 'LIFE-FILE' opening at The Riflemaker Gallery at 79 Beak Street, London W1F 9SU Tel o207-439-0000 www.riflemaker.org. The exhibit starts on Monday 15 December. Opening times are Mon-Fri 10-6pm. Saturday 12-6pm.

A new exhibition about Brion Gysin is on at the October Gallery in London beginning on December 11 and running through to February 7 - see http://www.briongysin.com/BG/Calligraffiti_of_Fire.html 

October Gallery's exhibition complements the December Burroughs Live at the Royal Academy of Arts (GSK Contemporary), and Life File, Burroughs' illustrated private files, at Riflemaker. In the '60's, Gysin created the ‘Dreamachine’, which he described as "the only work of art designed to be seen with closed eyes", and a "drugless psychedelic experience". The Dreamachine rotates, and, through a flicker effect, evokes brainwaves which can produce spontaneous waking dreams. Gysin said "...it gives an extended vision of one's own interior capacities, which could also be overwhelming." It was Gysin's point of view that those "interior capacities" are the next art form, superseding painting.
October Gallery was the first in the UK to show Gysin's work with a solo exhibition in 1981, and the first to show Burroughs' works of art in 1988, 1990 and 1992.
Gysin had a lifelong fascination with the juncture of word and image, and Calligraffiti of Fire (1985) is a culmination of a long series of his works inspired by hieroglyphics and calligraphy. He studied Japanese and Arabic calligraphy, and evolved his own style of word/image glyphs, supple as flames or tendrils of smoke. Calligraffiti of Fire was inspired by a makimono, a Japanese scroll, of fire in bamboo that, as a young man, he had seen at the Boston Museum of Fine Art.
The New Museum in New York is currently planning a Gysin retrospective. Gysin's works are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Boston Fine Arts Gallery, Massachusetts USA; Centre Georges Pompidou, Fonds National d'Art Contemporaine, Musé´e d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris; and numerous private collections. Thames and Hudson produced Brion Gysin: Tuning into the Multimedia Age, edited by José Férez Kuri.
‘Brion Gysin: Calligraffiti of Fire’ is curated by Kathelin Gray, and produced in collaboration with The Academy of Everything is Possible.

An exhibition of On The Road covers is being held in the USA at the moment. Alongside Jack Kerouac's original scroll, which you can see in the foreground above. I'm pleased to say that the current issue of Beat Scene is featured in the exhibit, you can see (just) the current front cover to the right of the image. Thank you Gregory Weiss, Horst Spandler and Jed Birmingham for making this possible. The exhibition is being held at Columbia College in Chicago. There is a link to their site below.

http://www.colum.edu/Administrative_offices/Provost/Beats/ON_THE_ROAD_with_Jack_Kerouac.php

  Beat Scene recently covered Deborah Baker's totally absorbing A BLUE HAND: THE BEATS IN INDIA - check here for more on that book http://www.deborahbaker.net/

For the lowdown on a new USA film that features the art of Wallace Berman and the Ferus Gallery - go to http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/coolschool/

If, like me, you have long given up hope of ON THE ROAD being filmed, you might want to read a recent article in the English daily newspaper THE INDEPENDENT - http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/the-long-and-grinding-story-of-on-the-road-926664.html

Ahead of a sizeable article about the Ted Berrigan interview with Jack Kerouac for The Paris Review in 1968, which will feature in the number 20 issue of Transit Magazine -  I'd like to point you in the direction of an interview with Aram Saroyan on KCRW radio dating from 1994. In this thirty minute interview Saroyan talks about his friend Berrigan and in particular the then new COLLECTED POEMS OF TED BERRIGAN (Penguin). A fascinating interview and a real pleasure to listen to.. http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/bw/bw940815aram_saroyan

See this extended article on Philip Whalen at an interesting NYC literary site http://www.tribes.org/web/2008/08/06/philip-whalen-the-buddhist-charles-olson-by-tom-savage/

A new film by Nic Saunders, CURSES AND SERMONS, based on a poem by Michael McClure, will soon be upon us. Go to www.14167films.com

Donald Miller has a thoughtful Beat Generation hued site at http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller11.html

A pretty new site centring around Hunter S. Thompson is to be found at  - take a look http://hstbooks.wordpress.com/   - Hunter fan Martin Flynn has an enthusiastic and attractive site, which incorporates many other Beat associated writers. There is a link here, also, to some words he has to say about The Beat Scene Press Pocket Book series. http://hstbooks.wordpress.com/books/

Henry Denander's lovely Kamini Press present the third  chapbook in their poetry series THE PLOT OF IL TROVATORE AND OTHER POEMS by Gerald Locklin.
First edition, 300 copies, all signed by the poet.
Mini-chapbook format, in wraps. Cover artwork and author portrait by Henry Denander. At http://www.kaminipress.com and further order information. Paypal to order@kaminipress.com

See the English newspaper THE GUARDIAN for this article on Gary Snyder

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/05/voice_of_the_wild.html

Have a look at this article from the New York Times of the past week. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/books/review/Donadio-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

In the past couple of months David Meltzer suffered a serious fall and was in hospital. I hear he is recovering. Knowledgeable observers of the beat scene will know David's work through the years. We wish David well and a speedy recovery. Go to http://www.meltzerville.com/ to find out more about him. Dig those crazy threads David.

                                                     Major new Kerouac exhibit on until March at the New York Public Library - see http://www.nypl.org/news/kerouac.cfm

An article by Walter Salles, who, it is reported, is working on a film adaptation of ON THE ROAD.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/magazine/11roadtrip-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

For news on a very new film NEAL CASSADY, directed by Noah Buschel, go to http://www.woodstockfilmfestival.com/festival2005/details.php?id=17904

You have possibly read in Beat Scene about Mary Kerr's SWINGING IN THE SHADOWS film, tracing the Beat Scene from another perspective. See her www.beatera.org site for more on that & other fascinating material.

  Have a read here and see a thoughtful review in the English daily newspaper THE GUARDIAN by AM. Homes of the new UK paperback edition of Jack Kerouac's recently published play BEAT GENERATION. I'm relieved Homes hasn't fallen for the myth of the 'lost play.' The reality is Jack Kerouac dearly wanted the play to be produced and also published. Nobody was interested and he put it away, deflated by the rejection. The play was never lost. See  http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2103960,00.html

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Click on the link below to download a 30-min programme celebrating the 50th anniversary of the publication of Kerouac's "On the Road."  With Carolyn Cassady, Al Hinkle, Joyce Johnson, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gore Vidal, Michael McClure, and others:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/f41nbe

We carried news of the Michael McClure play THE BEARD www.thebeardplay.com - in 2006 and director Nic Saunders has kindly allowed us to show some photos from the run in July/August of 2006. That's Nic just below with Michael.

Photos above right, director Nic Saunders with playwright Michael McClure outside the Old Red Lion Theatre in London. Bottom left...THE BEARD, a scene being filmed by Colin Still. Right, Billy The Kid (Christopher Daley) and Jean Harlow (Victoria Yeates) in a scene from the play. All photos copyright Nic Saunders.

above, Michael McClure at a book signing in London during his visit to London in July 2006. Photo by Nic Saunders, director of Michael's play THE BEARD.                 photo copyright Nic Saunders

Above a photo of Gary Snyder and Anne Waldman that Anne sent in recently. It was taken at Naropa in Colorado at the school that Anne co-founded with Allen Ginsberg in the 1970s. The photo was taken in 1994.

BEAT SCENE subscriber Giuseppe Moretti has sent in this photograph of Gary Snyder in Italy in September 2005. He was there for readings in Rome and Florence. The photo is taken up in the Dolomites.

If anyone is interested there is an interview with yours truly at www.dogmatika.com where I talk about Beat Scene magazine. Throughout the interview there are many informative links to the people mentioned. An excellent site regardless of my inclusion. 

Check out Dan Fante's own site www.danfante.net the Beat Scene Press in collaboration with Sean Lynch's Ten Point Press, has published Dan Fante's SUPERMARKET in a limited edition of just 100 numbered and signed copies.

Have a look at a fairly new internet site run by the Cassady family, all about Neal Cassady at www.nealcassadyestate.com lots of really personal entries.

There is a wonderful article/interview with photographer Gordon Ball on John Tranter's excellent Jacket site. Photos of Huncke, Ginsberg, Corso and others. Go to www.jacketmagazine.com/33/index.shtml

  A film about the late West Coast poet Jack Micheline is in the pipeline. The film is a long running project by Jesse Block. Originally commissioned and started when Jack was alive. It has turned into a full-length documentary on him. Hopefully it will have been completed by end of the year. Find out more about Jack Micheline at www.jack-micheline.com

Thank you David Knowles for reminding me to include this link to the Naropa Archives of Beat Recordings at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics in Colorado. They are in the never ending process of transferring the cassette tapes onto discs to better preserve them. People like Gregory Corso, Burroughs, Ginsberg, Michael McClure, Ken Kesey and many others. You might know about this already, but just in case – some interesting audio here: http://www.archive.org/details/naropa

Check out The Jack and Stella Kerouac Center For American Studies in Lowell at http://www.uml.edu/college/arts_sciences/kerouac_center/default.html the center is at 61 Wilder Street, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, USA. Tel 978-934-4195

  POLIS IS THIS: CHARLES OLSON AND THE PERSISTENCE OF PLACE is a new film by Henry Ferrini. You might recall that wonderful film he made about Jack Kerouac? See information about this new film regarding Charles Olson at http://www.polisisthis.com/Polis/Home.html

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