Various (Moore, Dave (Editor); Cassady, Carolyn; Griffey, Alan; Kerouac, Jack; Morris, Richard; Nicosia, Gerald; Weinberg, Jeffrey H. et al.)

The Kerouac Connection No. 4 (October 1984)

Bristol, England: The Kerouac Connection, 1984. First Printing. Stapled Wrappers. Offered here is yet another vintage, early number of the UK literary journal of the Beat Generation & especially Jack Kerouac, edited by Dave Moore & subtitled [a] "BEAT BROTHERHOOD NEWSLETTER." Inaugurating the issue is TKC’s “News” section, which, while today is like reading a month’s worth of print advertisements for local events in an old newspaper that you wish you could’ve gone to, is nevertheless of direct and concrete worth to the scholarly among us. This is because it enables the enterprising researcher to keep tabs on events ‘related to’ a sub-topic of the Beat phenomenon, while simultaneously keeping tabs on the shifting social milieu and the aging Beats’ (alternately uneasy & un-bothered) relations to it. This table wine of anecdote and fact — the stories (often prolifically) circulated before arriving in the mailbox of the mind unverified (and often unverifiable) — nevertheless retains its intonational value to the biographer. For example, have you ever heard of “West Coast: Beyond and Beyond” (serendipity, much?), “a one-hour long TV documentary from KQED was shown twice to San Francisco viewers in June. The film, made by Chris Felver with writer Gerald Nicosia, interviews 13 writers associated with the Beat scene, including Ferlinghetti, Corso, Micheline, Lamantia, Norse, Kesey, Kyger, and Kerouac’s daughter, Jan. The film is narrated by Allen Ginsberg and cameo readings by the poets are also featured” (pg. 1). You see what I mean? In addition to the issue’s dependably enthusiastic, now standardized opener, we have the a suite of Book Reviews (by Carolyn Cassady & Gregory Stephenson); an essay on Kerouac by Chris Challis (“Ti Jean in 1984”); a short, page-length piece of prose by Kerouac, himself titled “Life Beats Like Warm Blood”; the second part of the Seymour Wyse interview (Wyse is of course the noted early associate of Kerouac who influenced his taste in music, indelibly); a personal essay by Alan Griffey titled “The Day I Stopped and Gave Jack Kerouac a Lift” followed by…wouldn’t you know it…an early scrivening from TMB’s onetime mentor, Jeffrey Weinberg of Water Row Books (who appears with a piece contemplative, short, autobiographical piece of prose titled “Growing Up in Lowell.” Small-format literary magazine-journal in stapled wrappers: the first and only printing of this elusive, Kerouac-themed periodical. From the collection of Kevin Ring, publisher of Beat Scene magazine & other indispensable productions (many available here), & our good friend. In very fine condition with only minute shelf-wear, bumping to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers; faint intimations of rusting, bleeding to staples but otherwise pristine. Very Fine. [Item #5262]

Price: $35.00