yeah, I saw it, too

by jota

Posted to Utterances on 2002-06-13 09:37:00

Parent message is 206793
sampas seemed creepy though Brinkley knew his shit and Amram, yeah Amram was bitchin kewl

but Sterling Lord, Jack’s agent had the best insight. I actually copied some of the discussion down. Here’s what I captured:

“music, sports, jazz, friendship, the beauty that surrounded the American continent, Asian culture, African-American culture…that’s what we talked about”

– David Amram on CSPAN (even as I write this)

the discussion turned to why it took so long for On the Road to breakthrough:

“a lot of established editors in the publishing world and in the leading papers were fearful that here comes this working class author who suddenly appears in the private school – this book was unconventional, it wasn’t the Hemingway style…it dared to talk about casual sex, sleeping around, drug use, it was conversational in style, it was Jack telling the world I’m going to write a book just the way Neal talks”
– John Sampas

“It took me five years to sell that book.”
– Sterling Lord, Jack’s agent


“something is lost in American society today has many people reaching back to Kerouac and the beats…”
– Douglas Brinkley, Kerouac biographer

“the land, the mountains, the worlds to conquer, we were young and handsome and the world was our oyster, and sure a new jack kerouac could come along any moment
– John Sampas

“the next jack kerouac coming along could very well be a woman this time”
– Douglas Brinkley

The beats: why they are important in 2002

“If you look at life in the 50s, a segregated world, Jim Crow South, McCarthyism, environmentalism like the kind Gary Snyder was practicing was extremely looked down upon, the censorship, the way woman were treated, these were the people who started a new voice that today must be heard even now because these were new suggestions that raised new joys…”

– Brinkley

“when we look back we see a mirror of ourselves, the kids of today I encourage them to be pure, work hard, dare to dream don’t take rejection personally be inclusive, compassionate and if someone doesn’t like what you’re digging, don’t be angry with them, just hang out with someone else…”

-David Amram