Jack Kerouac's musings on the creative process are collected together for the first time in this exquisite book. In the 1950s Allen Ginsberg asked Kerouac to formally describe his "spontaneous prose" method, resulting in a list of maxims called Belief and Technique for Modern Prose. Kerouac entertains with sage advice, whether he's offering a sublime reminder to "believe in the holy contour of life" or a practical admonition to "accept loss forever." With a foreword by Kerouac scholar Regina Weinreich and select photos from the Kerouac Estate, You're a Genius All the Time is a beautiful and intimate work of inspiration. Hardcover.
$ 12.95
In the mid-1950s, Jack Kerouac, a lifelong Catholic, became fascinated with Buddhism, an interest that had a significant impact on his ideas of spirituality and later found expression in such books as Mexico City Blues and The Dharma Bums. Originally written in 1955 and now published for the first time in paperback, Wake Up is Kerouac's retelling of the life of Prince Siddhartha Gotama, who as a young man abandoned his wealthy family and comfortable home for a lifelong search for enlightenment. Distilled from a wide variety of canonical scriptures, Wake Up serves as both a penetrating account of the Buddha's life and a concise primer on the principal teachings of Buddhism. This edition includes an insightful introduction by Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman addressing Kerouac's engagement with Buddhism in his work and his life.
$ 15.00
The Awakener is Helen Weaver's long awaited memoir of her adventures with Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Lenny Bruce, and other wild characters from the New York City of the fifties and sixties. The sheltered but rebellious daughter of bookish Midwestern parents, Weaver survived a repressive upbringing in the wealthy suburbs of Scarsdale and an early divorce to land in Greenwich Village just in time for the birth of rock 'n' roll—and the counterculture movement known as the Beat Generation. Paperback
$ 16.95
Gonzo is a rare look into the life of literary legend Hunter S. Thompson, whose groundbreaking style of "gonzo" journalism made him one of the greatest writers of his generation. Now, for the first time, his photographs and archives have been collected into a visual biography worthy of his literary legacy. With an introduction by close friend Johnny Depp, and a comprehensive biography by writer Ben Corbett, Gonzo captures a man whose life was as legendary as his writing. Hardcover
$ 19.95
Jacket copy: Warning! This book contains the following: Unsafe use of powerful firearms in combination with explosives Cultivation of illegal crops Impressionable minors being exposed to illicit activities Piloting of automobiles under impaired conditions Transporting large sums of cash across national borders. Paperback
$ 13.99
Beautifully designed and printed in extremely good quality, Beat is Chris Felver's latest collection of original photography providing a refreshing new perspective on the writers of the Beat Generation. Many of the photographs included in Beat have never before been seen, and feature not only the well-known Beats—William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, etc.—but also many personalities whom until now have remained obscure. Herbert Huncke—who introduced Burroughs to the junk underworld of Times Square, and himself coined the term 'beat generation'—is pictured, along with Harold Norse, Hettie Jones, ruth weiss, Jack Hirschman, Carolyn Cassady, and even such later figures as Lou Reed, Ken Kesey, and Kurt Vonnegut. Contextually interspersed throughout the book are pieces of ephemera—poems (some even written on napkins), books, paintings, etc. bringing the Beat generation to life.
$ 29.95
Mike Evans' lavishly illustrated book The Beats is a spectacular record of the explosive period that bore the Beat generation—when the conservative blandness of '50s America gave way to the artistic, social, and sexual liberation of the '60s. With over 200 illustrations, many rarely seen before, the book tells the story of the Beat generation, against the backdrop of seedy student pads, smoky jazz cellars, and—most crucially—the open road. Featuring a wealth of first-hand quotes, archive documentation, and exclusive interview material with Beat wife, muse, and chronicler Carolyn Cassady, The Beats is a timely celebration of a seminal era in modern popular culture.
$ 29.95
"Those nostalgic for the free love era will revel in this handsome, oversized collection of gritty photographs by celebrated photographer Robert Altman. A master at catching his subjects at the moment of emotional overload—whether they be mischief makers, war protestors or musicians—the black and white photographs collected here are pure nostalgia, making a powerful you-are-there impression that simultaneously highlights the era's distance—chronologically and otherwise—from the current moment. In addition to period luminaries like Ken Kesey, Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin and Mick Jagger, the compendium highlights lesser-known players on the scene, as well as average attendees at rallies, "be-ins" and festivals. Altman's particular genius is best showcased in his legendary crowd scenes...the raw, wild feelings they've miraculously captured. Despite the book's title, images straddle the period from the late 60's to the early 70's (though none of the subjects seem to make much of the distinction), and a fun introduction by longtime Rolling Stone editor Fong-Torres reveals that Altman has always felt his purpose was to depict "the life and times that the Sixties inspired;" he succeeds beautifully with this, an impressive social document and a powerful remembrance."
This is a four hour video portrait of the renegade poet of contemporary literature. Features 52 cuts (poems & stories) including "Give me the Cities," "Starving for Art," "Nature," "The Gangster Bar," "The Human Condition," "Elizabeth Taylor," "Fame," "Skid Row," "First Published Story," "Legs," "Privacy" among many others. What a treasure this is as it gives us one of the most intimate revelatory glimpses that any film has ever provided on Bukowski's personality and life.
Bukowski
$ 110
This box set features every note Coltrane recorded for this label including unissued material. Includes a 72 page booklet with rare photos and new notes.
