Collected Letters, 1944-1967
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.94 (928 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0142002178 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 512 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-09-19 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
These amazing letters cover Cassady’s life between the ages of 18 and 41 and finish just months before his death in February 1968. “Dave Moore's work on this collection is simply awesome. It should become and remain the definitive reference book for Beat scholars forever.” —Carolyn CassadyNeal Cassady is best remembered today as Jack Kerouac’s muse and the basis for the character “Dean Moriarty” in Kerouac’s classic On The Road, and as one of Ken Kesey’s merriest of Merry Pranksters, the driver of the psychedelic bus “Further,” immortalized in Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. This collection brings together more than two hundred letters to Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, John Clellon Holmes, and other Beat generation luminaries, as well as correspondence between Neal and his wife, Carolyn. Brilliantly edited by Dave Moore, this unique collection presents the “Soul of the Beat Generation” in his own words—sometimes touching and tender
missed said The Beat Hero In His Own Words (for once). Neal Cassady was, for most of his adult life, a prolific writer, spreading his hep words to the likes of Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Bill Burroughs, and other beat writers who used Neal as the star of many of their works (especially K). Cassady is a born storyteller, as is evidenced by his energetic and exciting letters; however, it becomes evident that he is not a born writer, and as exciting as his letters are, they say quite little. Regardless, it is obvious how Cassady became a new archetype of American modern literature, and fans of the Beats would be remiss no. "Lost Beat Literature" according to Canticle. Neal Cassady is better known as the inspiration for the driver/companion Dean Moriarty in "On the Road", Cody in "Visions of Cody" and the real life driver of the next genration in "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test". Other than "The First Third" published by City Lights many years ago there is little actually written by this fascinating personality. These letters are give a good idea of the style of speaking, writing and living (good and bad) that touched so many people and crossed between the generations of the beats and the hippies.Not always inspired, sometimes pedestri. Mike Smith said A mediocre book about a fascinating character. Jack Kerouac is a great writer, who wrote some great books. Neal Cassady is the energetic, life-filled hero of many of them, including "On the Road," in which Neal is represented as "Dean Moriarty."Tom Wolfe is another great writer, who wrote the amazing "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test," in which Neal is also a prominent character, this time the driver of a psychedelic busful of hippies.In these books, and in others, Neal Cassady stands out distinctly as a fascinating character worthy of study--a man with an almost bottomless manic energy, the sex drive of a large crowd,
. Although there are a few literary gems within Cassady’s body of work, such as his free-flowing "Joan Anderson" letter, for the most part, his letters prove that his most enduring legacy is his tremendous influence on his Beat friends. Compiling all of the thrice-married writer’s correspondence into one volume for the first time, British editor Moore adeptly documents Cassady’s rise from teenaged inmate at the Colorado State Reformatory to chauffeur for Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters. Unfortunately, few of these letters record Cassady’s most famous adventures, such as the cross-country trip with Kerouac that inspired On the Road. Copyright © Ree