Today is the blow out, extravaganza, Grand Opening of Kewl Beanz, the Internet Cyber Cafe that is more than just a meeting place for progressive thinkers. I need a date and Jack Kerouac, if you can hear me, please give me a call. If you can't call, just meet me there at any time today from 5 a.m. to midnight (CST). I love you. And when you write like this, I love you even more:
They danced down the streets like dingledodies, and I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"
You are one the greatest beat poets of the 1950s. I'll be the envy of all the other new millennium-beats at the party if you go with me. Of course, I know YOU disdain envy, but, hey, maybe you can get behind pity. If you don't take me, I get stuck with this poser and his impotent bongos. Jack Kerouac...call me?
************BELIEF & TECHNIQUE FOR MODERN PROSE******
List of Essentials
********************************************************************************************
1. Scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten pages, for yr own joy
2. Submissive to everything, open, listening
3. Try never get drunk outside yr own house
4. Be in love with yr wife
5. Something that your feel will find its own form
6. Be crazy dumbsaint of the mind
7. Blow as deep as you want to blow
8. Write what you want bottomless from the bottom of the mind
9. The unspeakable visions of the individual
10. No time for poetry but exactly what is
11. Visionary tics shivering in the chest
12. In tranced fixation dreaming upon object before you
13. Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition
14. Like Proust be an old teahead of time
15. Telling the true story of the world in interior monolog
16. The jewel center of interest is the eye within the eye
17. Write in recollection and amazement of yourself
18. Work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea
19. Accept loss forever
20. Believe in the hold contour of life
21. Struggle to sketch the flow that already exists intact in mind
22. Dont think of words when you stop but to see picture better
23. Keep track of every day the date emblazoned in yr monrning
24. No fear or shame in the dignity of yr experience, language & knowledge
25. Write for the world to read and see yr exact pictures of it
26. Bookmovie is the movie in words, the visual American form
27. In Praise of Character in the Bleak inhuman Loneliness
28. Composing wild, undisciplined, pure, coming in from under, crazzier the better
29. You're a Genius all the time
30. Writer-Director of Earthly movies Sponsored & Angeled in Heaven
as ever,
Jack
[By Jack Kerouac, exerpted precisely as published [sic] from a letter to Don Allen 1958]
from Heaven & Other Poems, Grey Fox Press, San Francisco 1994
40 comments:
My dearest Ronda, that first quote by Mr. K is my all-time favorite quote of his!
And even if this whole event has turned into something a bit more far-reaching -- is the combination of "a bit" and "far-reaching" paradoxical, btw? -- than the beatnik coffeehouse we originally envisioned, Kewl Beanz! is dedicated to his unsurpassed brilliance. And I'm speaking in and out of character, there.
Simply put, Kerouac was and is a god. And if the "Foxster" (or David M. Lynch) ever runs into Tim Burton, he/I will lock him up with a copy of "Dr. Sax" until he agrees to direct the film, based on Kerouac's own scripted version of his original novel!
Beatnics are great....snapping fingers....I love black stripes....snapping fingers....and tights....snapping fingers....poetry rocks....snaping fingers....okay, I will stop....snapping fingers.
Trip down memory lane....almsot did it, but stopped myself....snapped fingers....dang.
God bless.
My WV was "buteugly", it must not have liked my snapping fingers!!
how many on th list do i need to meet to qualify...smiles.
#'s 8, 10 & 13 I do well with....tho' I've never read Mr. K.( but will be looking...ahem ).
Quite a list. Something to aim for, I guess.
You're all invited to the Kewl Beanz! grand opening, too, folks. Check it out on the Simpson/Lynch Studios blog! Our first official post of the day is up now, by the way.
Great list Ronda... Loads of great things going on here today!
Since I haven't got real previous writing experience, and English is not my native language, I find several items on the list as encouraging for me:
13 -"Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition"
17 "write in recollection and amazement of yourself"
24 - " No fear or shame in the dignity of yr experience, language & knowledge"
My sweet Ronda, this post is fantastic! We have reserved the upstairs room at Kewl Beanz! just for people who want to want to read "Beat Poetry," or dance like Audrey Hepburn in "Funny Face."
Oh, Ronda, you're a funny, funny girl! That was quite a read by Kerouac. We like the same kind of people.
Uhh, Ronda, will you be showing up soon? I just got two calls, one each from Kato and Tara, asking about you...???
Ah ... Jack.
OK Ronda, here is where our commonalities part ways. You can have him. Definitely a genius, but as a date?
Well ... he is kind of perfect for a cafe, come to think of it. Still ...
Ahh, you are there already! Lovely. Well, i would like to meet Jack myself in fact. I am just boarding the plane now that Skipster got me in over here at Denver intl.
I will be posting on my special travel logue too, btw.
Oh,waht a brill outfit. love it! perfect for the beat hang out.
Foxter: To me, Jack is a god, a hero and a role model from my generation. I wholeheartedly support your idea of locking Mr Burton up with Kerouac's novel until he agrees to direct said movie.
Authorities be damned!
Sherry...snapping finger...you are...snapping fingers...a cool chick...double snapping finger to a bongo roll.
Brian: As many as you want and make up some of your own. That's what I take from Jack's list.
Subby: 8, 10 and 13 are all good. I think you will enjoy the rhythm and pacing of Kerouac's writing.
Dave: You are well on your way!
Eternally Distracted: There are a lot of fun things going on today. Hop on over to Kewl Beanz for an origianl and very well done cyber party.
DUTA: You write so well that I never even think about English not being your native language. And I do consider you an experienced writer. You do better than you think. But there is something very freeing about 13, 17 and 24 isn't there.
Dorraine: Isn't his list interesting. You won't find that in a academically based writing program.
Ronda ~ oh, Jack is the perfect date for you...splendid! :)
Ronda: From what I've read, Kerouac was rather dismissive of his well-deserved iconic status. Hope you don't mind my having a little fun with him on SnL. He's a hero of mine, as well.
Foxter: On my way! Had to ditch Bongo Boy and get that work thing outta the way.
Reya: Thank you! I'm glad we won't have to squabble over men. Now I'm not saying I'd have him escort me to a night at the White House...but then again, maybe I might. Just have to get to know him a bit. But as far as reading poetry at the coffee house or knockin' back a couple of brewskies and shooting pool, I think he might be fun.
And I have to admit, I do find genius to be a very sexy quality.
There's a cracked lid to fit every pot.
Mmm...I'll see you there and stop by to see your travel logue.
Betsy: Hi. Who is your date?
Oh no I forgot completely about Kewl Beans. Do I click my fingers now? For some reason this reminded me of Maynard J Crabbs . pass me my beret!
@Baino: Never fear! We're open until midnight... and maybe a bit later!
Betsy doesn't ahve a date, can you believe it? ! Someone as lovely as her.
Hi Baino: Yep, just click your fingers and grab a beret. Plenty of time left.
Ronda, I do play billiard, but when Loree Jon is around to play no way. If you want a match with her she will oblige you but look out she is dynamite. I have have to stick to listening and looking. Your prose and poetry is way over my head.
QMM
Ronda! I've looked forward to meeting you for ages! David (the Foxster) raves about you. And all three of think Jack Kerouac is a god! (And believe me, I've known my share in my time.) And you appreciate old cars, too? So do I. I love older things. Old books, old cars, old music, and Oops. I don't know if you heard that, but David just added, "old men," meaning himself! Silly guy! [to Foxster] I thought you were gonna go take a nap?
Ronda, i do play a spot of snooker, does that count?
Great words by Jack!. And Skip...Audrey Hepburn dancing in the club in "Funny Face" is one of my favorites. She wears the best outfit. I'll post it on my page...
Interesting choice for a date, Ronda! I'd love to see that played out in a short story. I like number 18, "swimming in language sea"...
Yeah!
Ronda...how lovely to meet you...well, kind of. I'm still stuck up in my room for the time being. :)
I'm thinking, wow, we really got off on this. Wait, I kinda still do. It actually makes more sense to me now. This is such a good list. Good on you Ronda, this is a really good post.
I am so so on the list! I hope that being a shitty typist is on the list, because I hit 100 keys to type 50 letters! If Jack won't go with you, maybe I can go lol!
Fantastic. I love the look.
Mmm: I know it's hard to believe that Betsy doesn't have a date but I believe it is definitely by choice. Smart girl.
Queenmother: I don't think I'll take on Loree Jon either. I understand about feeling the prose is over your head. I kind of feel like that sometimes too. It's just that I like that feeling:-0
Tara: So lovely to meet you! I've been dying to make your acquaintance. I'm glad Foxter added "old men" before I had to. I like old things too. How do you think I collected the Wonder Husband. He's in that catagorey.
Mmm: Snooker is GREAT!
LadyCat: Glad you like Jack's quote. I can't wait to check out Audrey's outfit from Funny Face. It's been a while.
Stacy: Great idea for a short story. You never quit thinking in fiction do you? Wow! #18 is great!
Lizzie: Lucky you!
TechnoBabe: You are right, it does make more sense now!
Dreamhaven: Thanks!
Otin: Sure, you can take me! Well, regarding the list, you do a lot of those things. You just think of it differently. As far as typing goes, in the end, all that matters is that you get it done.
Ronda you are a busy vixon! I am liking the poetry! What can you and yours not do? rebuild cars, cater a wedding, massage therapy!
Wow do you deliver?
Hi! Ronda,
What an interesting post...like Subby77, I'am not familiar with Jack Kerouac's writing, but that isn't going to stop me from doing some research about him and his writings.
Most definitely, Thanks, for the link to the Kewl Beanz, the Internet Cyber Cafe.
Number 14. Like Proust be an old teahead of time...
Ahh...I really like this essential...
Thanks, for sharing!
DeeDee ;-D
Colette: We are a self-sufficient lot. Ecclectic but not without our skills. In fact, we do deliver, that would be 1-800-D-E-L-I-V-E-R.
Just kidding, we don't have an official delivery service but, unofficially, we get the job done whatever it takes.
DeeDee: My first thought is..."you don't know about Jack Kerouac?" But then I think, you are much younger than I. And I think Subby was maybe not in this country or under the sea in his submarine when Jack was in his heyday. He was a bit older than I am but, his beat influence, along with others like Allan Ginsberg, and ee cummings still rippled through the 60's generation. I hope you will let me know what you think when you check him out. Number 14 is great!
(Your link inside a comment worked perfectly)
Don't tell anyone, because it is a horror of great proportions, but I have not read Kerouac. It is own my list for this year though. He seems to be an icon of free living.
Dam
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