Various (Bristow, Elliot; Burns, Jim; Dowden, Kaviraj George; Floyd, Tony; Griffey, Alan; Horowitz, Michael; Kerouac, Jack; Montgomery, John; Perez, Sylvie; Smalldon, Jeffrey L.; Tyler, Deborah et al.)

The Kerouac Connection, No. 8 (October 1985: the “Kerouac Biographies - Guided Tour” Issue)

Bristol, UK: The Kerouac Connection, 1985. First Printing. Stapled Wrappers. “At first sight it would appear that there is no need for a biography of Jack Kerouac, that to write one would be an act of tautology on a massive scale, when all that there is to tell has been related by the subject himself. In fact, it is precisely his own ‘fictionalised’ autobiography that has prompted the half-dozen or so biographies of Jack Kerouac that have been published since his death in 1969. As John Clellon Holmes says in The Great Rememberer, his vivid reminiscence of Kerouac, “the life ‘redeemed from darkness’ which Kerouac’s books describe is nothing less than the whole of his actual life,’ and ‘his work is not so much concerned with events as it is with consciousness.’ Thus, we find in Kerouac’s books not only history and straight description of the events that he witnessed and participated in, but also an insight into the way he was looking at these events (as he says in Desolation Angels: ‘narrative rundowns of what I saw and how I saw.’” (from Introductory Note). Subtitled a “Beat Brotherhood Newsletter,” here we have the elusive eighth issue of “The Kerouac Connection,” Dave Moore’s charming Jack Kerouac-focused (1922-1969) periodical. As the graphic on the front cover promises, the primary focus of the issue is indeed “Kerouac Biographies,” with features on such fascinating analytical side-plots as “Kerouac’s Breton Roots” (by Sylvie Perez) and “The Day I Met Jack Kerouac,” by the late Jim Burns. Contributor list, in full, reads as follows: Tony Floyd (“The Kerouac Biographies”); Elliot Bristow (“Road Romance No. 73”); Sylvie Perez (“Kerouac’s Breton Roots”); Jeffrey L. Smalldon (“Lonesome for God”); Michael Horovitz (“Letter”); Jim Burns (“The Day I Met Jack Kerouac”); Deborah Tyler (“Big Word Constructions – The Subterraneans”); book reviews by John Montgomery & Alan Griffey; the continuation (Pt. 2) of “My Life – My Art: The Beat Influence” by Kaviraj George Dowden; and concludes with TKC’s ever-present “News” section. Small-format literary magazine-journal in stapled wrappers: the first and only printing of this 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, slight age-toning & yellowing at/to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & three red highlighting marks to last page of journal, although no text is obscured by them—else pristine. Very Fine. [Item #5331]

Price: $30.00