Calonne, David Stephen (Bremser, Bonnie; Burroughs, William S.; Ferlinghetti, Lawrence; Ginsberg, Allen; Kerouac, Jack; Randall, Margaret et al.)

The Beats in Mexico

ISBN: 9781978828728
New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2022. First Edition. Hardcover. "Mexico features prominently in the literature and personal legends of the Beat writers, from its depiction as an extension of the American frontier in Jack Kerouac's On the Road to its role as a refuge for writers with criminal pasts like William S. Burroughs. Yet the story of Beat literature and Mexico takes us beyond the movement's superstars to consider the important roles played by lesser-known female Beat writers...The Beats in Mexico not only considers individual Beat writers, but also places them within a larger history of countercultural figures...who mythologized Mexico as the land of the Aztecs and Mayans, where shamanism and psychotropic drugs could take you on a trip far beyond the limits of the American imagination." (from front flap) The latest (as of this writing) work by David Stephen Calonne, the acclaimed & prolific author, editor & academician- a fellow resident of our beloved Ann Arbor & esteemed colleague at the European Beat Studies Network (ebsn.eu). In this deeply researched & highly insightful study, Calonne focuses on the profound influence of the history, cultures & atmosphere of Mexico on the key writers of the Beat Generation, within the broader context of the countercultural & literary figures who preceded, were contemporaneous with & followed it. Along with the male Beat icons such as William S. Burroughs, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac et al., the impact of Mexico on female Beats including Bonnie Bremser & Margaret Randall is emphasized. Among the laudatory blurbs on the dust jacket back cover is that of this very writer, where I state: "With The Beats in Mexico, (Calonne) finally fills a critical gap in Beat Generation scholarship, tracing not only the influences of Mexico on the major Beat writers, but also on their predecessors, followers and contemporaries." With historic photographs, some in color, throughout; extensive notes. Hardcover in dust jacket, first edition, first printing, a beautiful Rutgers University Press production. A very important & rewarding work of Beat-&-Beyond scholarship; an instant collectible. Book & dust jacket in as-new condition with only some tiny bumps, creases at thin edges & corners of jacket front, back covers, spine & flaps. Very Fine / Very Fine. [Item #5111]

Price: $35.00