Various (Smith, Mitchell J. (Editor); Anstee, Rod; Bukowski, Charles; Cherkovski, Neeli; Cusimano, Mick; Dickson, Ray Clark; Ferlinghetti, Lawrence; Ford, Michael C.; Georgelos, Dr. Peter; Ginsberg, Allen; Goldschlag, David; Jones, James T.; Kerouac, Jack; Locklin, Gerald; Martin, John; Norse, Harold; Timm, Robert C.; Weaver, Helen)

The Kerouac Connection No. 27 (Winter 1995): Special NYU Conference Issue

Escondido, CA: The Kerouac Connection, 1995. First Edition. Softcover. “The conference itself was long, crazy hours of reading papers, listening to papers, meeting people, shaking hands, forgetting names, no sleep, no sleep, until pass out at another endless panel, New York sites, places, bagels, croissants, pizza, lo mein chicken, the usual great food and nasty people, rare books for sale, steam rising thru the streets, garbage collected in the gutters, subways smelling like ozone and sweat, great poetry readings, boring poetry readings, little controversies, warm and friendly Beats, nasty and cantankerous Beats (more than one young fan came up to me and asked, ‘Am I wrong or is it disappointing to find out that Allen Ginsberg is rude and condescending?’ All I can say is that he’s been in the spotlight a long time and it must get tiring). There are criticisms: Too many events ran at the same time, important authors and works were ignored, and as is often the case with NYU, the whole affair smelled too much of money-making, rather than of scholarship. There was an air of coldness, impersonality, and bureaucracy throughout, as in the way the organizers tried at first to chisel large entrance fees out of small presses, rather than honoring the tradition that started the Beat fire and over the years maintained the flame while the big presses ignored them–until now of course when the literary mafia has caught the scent of a killing to be made. Too much for one to tell, so in this journal many will tell. This issue, as well as the next, will be dedicated to the conference.” Mitchell Smith, Editor’s Note, pg 5. “The Kerouac Connection,” Dave Moore’s charming Jack Kerouac-focused periodical has, once again, graced the Third Mind catalog with a phenomenal volume! A voyeur's look into the 94’ NYU conference on The Beat Generation on May 17–22, this volume is replete with a treasure trove of essays, poetry, reviews and memorials. James Jones offers an excellent essay on the familial and catholic symbolism that Kerouac’s writing is rife with, titled “Kerouac’s Oedipus Complex Complex”; Rod Anstee gives us a great concise review of the conference and its bumps and woes; a number of essays and poems lament the loss of, and memorialize, the late, great, American poet titan Charles Bukowski (1920–1994); Lawrence Ferlinghetti (1919–2021), Beat iconoclast, offers a love-letter to poetry and spirituality in his poem “Buddha In The Woodpile”; and last but certainly not least, Neeli Cherkovski, gives us a beautiful essay in remembrance of Charles Bukowski. These are but a few of the many great works that comprise this amazing volume of the most authoritative, enthusiastic, and lovingly-tended Kerouac centered publication. From the collection of Kevin Ring, publisher of Beat Scene magazine & other indispensable productions (many available here), & our good friend Softcover small-format literary magazine-journal: the first and only printing of this Kerouac-themed periodical. very fine condition with only minute shelf-wear, bumping to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers. Very Fine. [Item #5758]

Price: $30.00