OK The Focus is on Jack Kerouac

Owing to a rushed work schedule today, I won't have too much time to spend here. However, I've decided on a specific focus for my blog for the next two weeks. No, it won't be on spaghetti westerns -that'll be for another time. Rather, I'll be concentrating on the "Beat" period of American Literature, specifically the works of Jack Kerouac, whose seminal work, On the Road was published 50 years ago last month.

Having just gotten back from the University of MA's Lowell campus, where the "Jack Kerouac Conference" was held last week, I've become aware that 2007 is shaping up to be the rebirth of interest in the Beats. In addition to Kerouac, people are now looking into the works of his contemporaries like allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs and Gregory Corso. This year I began a series of lectures & films concentrating on the Beats here at the library. This Monday, October 15, my old English professor from NYU (and currently teaching at SVA) Regina Weinreich, will be giving a lecture & power point presenatation on the life & work of William S. Burroughs.

Anyway, this site will be specifically devoted to Jack Kerouac for the next two weeks. To kick off this direction, I'm going to list a couple of Kerouac-related site links(and try to practice my hyperlink skills) here:

dharma beat

the beat writers

Now I have to run up to Town Hall. Another post should be up tomorrow.

Our hero: