Classic biog refs Beat/rock links
Charters’ groundbreaking title identifies cross-cultural connections
I WAS dipping into Ann Charters' first UK edition of her biography Kerouac from 1974 and was interested to read the inside front flap:
'Over twenty years have passed since Kerouac and his friends Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and the legendary Neal Cassady first burst upon the public landscape, turning on millions of beat, hip writers, rockers, pranksters – all spiritual children of their lifestyles and their art. And though considered freaks in their day, these giants are now recognised as the vanguard of post-war changes in American literature and culture.'
I was caught by Charters' – or perhaps the copywriter's – early recognition that these writers had touched rock musicians and the crew that Ken Kesey threw together around a decade before this.
I was also surprised by up to ten references in the book to Kerouac's friend Bill 'Cannister', a wild figure among a wild generation, who suffered decapitation after he infamously and tragically stuck his head out of the window of a moving train.
I began to convince myself that I'd been wrong about the name Cannastra but, no, the published version in this early edition was wrong. I assume it was probably corrected not long after that and, I should add, that I noticed the correct name did appear in the book’s index.