Beat Poets , Writers & Self Medicating

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Nitetrain

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William Burroughs "Naked Lunch" is a classic among the lovers of "Beat" literature.  It's a raw, personal journey of the authors drug use and life in exile.  It's sex, drugs and rock & roll from the 1950's!

Allen Ginsbergs is another  writer famous for his short, clipped and often repetitive stanzas describing life in Post WWIl San Fransisco. 

Jack Kerouac wrote " On the Road" in 1957, a classic to this day. 

These 3 writers are some of the best examples of " beat" literature....extolling drug use, freedom of religion, sex, political ideas and non-conformity.

Anyone else love this type of writing? 

 
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An excerpt of Allen Ginberg...

Holy my mother in the insane asylum. Holy the saxophones, holy the jazz band marijuana hipsters peace and junk and dreams, holy the cafeterias filled with millions, holy the skyscrapers and old men's cocks in Kansas, holy the rivers of tears under the sreets, holy the crazy shepherds of rebellion, holy  Tangiers, Paris, New York and Peoria, Istanbul and Kerouac, Burroughs and Cassidy. Holy time in holy clocks in space and fourth dimensions, holy the beggars and buggers and the Angels of bop Apocalypse.

 
I never noticed this topic, but I love anything related to literature and being a San Francisco native this is a subject I should be expert on. I have drank in the bar next to City Lights where the beat poets congregated (it's on the tip of my tongue), does that count? 

@Nitetrain I think I was too young when I tried to read this kind of poetry and it takes a more mature mind to appreciate. Not sure if I have achieved that, but I want to revisit it and see. You make it sound like I'm missing out.

Vesuvio Cafe. Always a lively place with eclectic art nouveau decor and clientele. 

 
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@2earls cool! City Lights is an iconic North Beach hangout! I’m glad you came across this topic. The Vesuvio cafe? You’re fortunate to live in my favorite city in the world! I’ve not been to the cafe...maybe next time I’m out that way we can meet for a cold drink. I’ll post some poets and books now I know someone else is interested!! I knew you were special.As Lawrence Ferlinghetti said in his poem “Waiting “.....I am perpetually waiting for the rebirth of wonder...I am waiting for the Age of Anxiety to drop dead and for God to be on TV and prove he’s American”. It reflects what’s going on in our country today. Good to hear from you!

 
@Nitetrain Super old post, I know. But it’s not every day I see another Burroughs fan.  I’ve read some Ginsberg as well, mostly “Howl”. Kerouac’s “On The Road” I just couldn’t get into. But “Naked Lunch” and “Junky” I love  

Ever read “Wild Party” by Joseph Moncure March? It’s a narrative poem published in 1928, about a raunchy, gin-fueled party. Apparently it was one of Burroughs’s favorite works. Supposedly it was the work that inspired him to become a writer. 

 
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@LunaLovegood happy to meet another beat fan. I've not read " Wild Party" but will check it out.

Blade Runner was a phrase originally coined by Burroughs.

He's my least favorite beat writer because he was polyaddicted and shot his wife through the head while drunk...check out Utubes. Thanks for the comments!

 
Nitetrain said:
@LunaLovegood happy to meet another beat fan. I've not read " Wild Party" but will check it out.

Blade Runner was a phrase originally coined by Burroughs.

He's my least favorite beat writer because he was polyaddicted and shot his wife through the head while drunk...check out Utubes. Thanks for the comments!
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 LOL Burroughs was always my *favorite* beat writer because he was a poly drug addict haha. Or rather, because he wrote interestingly and insightfully about drugs. I never had any patience for his later work though. Tried to read “Exterminator!” and “The Western Lands” and barely made it a few chapters. 
 

I did not know that about Burroughs coining the phrase “Blade Runner”(incidentally, I need to read more Phillip K.Dick. I remember enjoying “A Scanner Darkly”, and I’m fond of the movie “Blade Runner”, an adaptation of “Do Androids Dream if Electric Sheep?”)! I did know about him killing his wife. They were drunk and playing a game of “William Tell”, the fucking idiots.m(also: Alcohol is a stupid drug IMO).

Regarding “The Wild Party”, two things. There was an edition published with illustrations by the great cartoonist Art Spiegelman; that’s the version to look for as the illustrations are great 👍 Second, this is a bit random, but if you like either jazz or musicals, there is an excellent musical adaptation of “Wild Party” by Michael John LaChiusa. It’s a jazz musical, with a very modern/bebop feel. 

 
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Hi there! I sent you a long response and it blew off the screen!! I'll rewrite it tomorrow and by the way love these conversations!!

 
@Nitetrain Oh man, I hate it when that happens! I lost enough posts that I started doing this: whenever I make a long post, I type it up in the notes app on my phone, then simply copy/paste onto here. 
 

l love these conversations too! 💕🌈

 
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The beat writers sound badass thats something I def need to look up ,l just learned about "The Lost Generation" in the 1920s and just fantasize what it must have been like. Thanks for sharing this! Im excited to dig into the 50s

 
@LunaLovegood I love William S Burroughs and The Basketball Diaries from Jim Carrol. Jack Kerouac. But I wanted to tell you. I was sent to the Lexington Drug Farm where Burroughs talked about.  I was sick as hell because I had a court order against me 2 police drove me there. But once I started feeling better me and a friend I met went through every building there on our 4 hour break everyday. It was so cool all these medical devices were still there it was like it was preserved in time. No methadone but it was so cool to be at the place he wrote Heroin about.

 
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