Beats at Naropa

by Anne Waldman (Editor), Laura Wright (Editor)

Overview

“At Naropa University’s Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, there has long been an illuminating, dynamic, ongoing exchange of ideas about the history and legacy of the Beat Generation—an exchange fortunately that has been carefully archived and preserved. This valuable anthology does not further embalm the ‘legend’ of the Beats. Instead it allows its readers to hear authentic voices —Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, John Clellon Holmes, Diane di Prima, Philip Whalen, etc.—as well as introducing the thoughtful and responsible work of leading Beat scholars.”—Joyce Johnson

 Amassed from the riches of the Naropa Universityaudio archives, this collection offers an exciting new look at the Beats—whose influence lives on in the art and politics of our time. In this often spontaneous, conversational book, readers are introduced to the hard truths behind being a Beat woman, the haunting accuracy of William Burroughs’s world-view, the passion and energy of Allen Ginsberg and Anne Waldman, Jack Kerouac’s unexpected musicality, Diane DiPrima’s foray into small press publishing, Michael McClure’s account of the famous first reading of “Howl,” and, most of all, the inspirations behind America’s most provocative and prescient thinkers.

Contributors include:

 

David Amram
Amiri Baraka
Ted Berrigan
Junior Burke
William S. Burroughs
Lorna Dee Cervantes
Ann Charters
Clark Coolidge
Gregory Corso
Diane di Prima
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Rick Fields
Allen Ginsberg
David Henderson
Abbie Hoffman
John Clellon Holmes
Joyce Johnson
Hettie Jones
Edie Parker Kerouac
Joanne Kyger
Michael McClure
William S. Merwin
John Oughton
Marjorie Perloff
David Rome
Edward Sanders
Gary Snyder
Janine Pommy Vega
Steven Taylor
Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche
Anne Waldman
Philip Whalen
Laura Wright
Joshua Zim

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781566892278
Publisher:	Coffee House Press
Publication date:	06/01/2009
Pages:	234
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Anne Waldman is an internationally renowned poet, performer, and Distinguished Professor of Poetics at Naropa University's Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. She is the co-editor of Civil Disobediences: Poetics and Politics in Action and the author of over forty books, including In the Room of Never Grieve and Vow to Poetry: Essays, Interviews, & Manifestos. A poet and map librarian, Laura Wright holds an MFA from Naropa Universitywhere she has also been a guest faculty member of the Summer Writing Program. She is the author of Part of the Design and has translated work by Henri Michaux.

Table of Contents

Introduction Anne Waldman 11

The First Reading of the Environmental Movement: The Six Gallery Reading Michael McClure 15

Kerouac's Sound Clark Coolidge 19

Allen Ginsberg on William Blake Sidebar 23

Basic Definitions Gary Snyder 24

Pulling it down or the Good Manners of Vampires Amiri Baraka 39

Women and the Beats Hettie Jones Joanne Kyger Janine Pommy Vega Anne Waldman 45

Sidebar Joyce Johnson 60

Allen Ginsberg's Language Games: A Wittgensteinian Perspective Marjorie Perloff 62

Recollections and Gossip: First Meetings with Jack Kerouac David Amram Gregory Corso Allen Ginsberg John Clellon Holmes Edie Parker Kerouac 70

Sidebar Ted Berrigan 80

Reading, writing, and Teaching Kerouac in 1982 Ann Charters 81

Kerouac, Catholicism, Buddhism Gregory Corso Allen Ginsberg John Clellon Holmes 94

Sidebar: Ferlinghetti on Collaboration 100

Commonplace Discoveries: Lew Welch Philip Whalen 102

The Beats and Beyond Lorna Dee Cervantes 113

Bob Kaufman: Beat, Surreal, Buddhist, and Black David Henderson 117

An Interview with Edward Sanders Junior Burke 135

Sidebar Abbie Hoffman, Warrior in the World 144

You can't Win: An Interview with William Burroughs John Oughton Anne Waldman 145

Sidebar: Tendrel Anne Waldman 164

"Frightened Chrysanthemums": Poets' Colloquium William Burroughs Rick Fields Allen Ginsberg W. S. Merwin Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche Anne Waldman Philip Whalen David Rome Joshua Zim 166

By any Means Necessary Diane di Prima 195

Remember the Future: Archival Poetics and the War on Memory Steven Taylor 209

Sidebar: Allen Ginsberg on William Blake 216

Notes 217

Biographies 219