"I first met Neal not long after my father died... I had just gotten over a serious illness that I won't bother to talk about except that it had something to do with my father's death and my awful feeling that everything was dead. With the coming of Neal there really began for me that part of my life that you could call my life on the road." [from the beginning of On The Road, the scroll version]

 

Kerouac Bobblehead

Kerouac bobs to the beat

 

"...and nobody, nobody knows what’s going to happen to anybody besides the forlorn rags of growing old, I think of Dean Moriarty, I even think of Old Dean Moriarty the father we never found, I think of Dean Moriarty." [from the last sentence of On The Road]. 		Welcome to
DHARMA beat's
Homepage

KerouacDHARMA beat looks at Jack Kerouac's life and writings. We hope that you enjoy perusing through the pages.

Visit our Links Page to see Kerouac, beat, and other links.   Enjoy!

Kerouac events: The Kerouac Calendar is no longer being updated. Lowell, MA (Kerouac's hometown) has two major Kerouac events, in March and October. I have enjoyed many of the Kerouac events I had been to in the past, and I hope that you have too.

email: kerouaczin@aol.com

Kerouac and Beat News:

November 2022 - Jack Kerouac's former house in St. Petersburg opens as the Kerouac House - it will be open for various Kerouac events - https://stpetekerouachouse.com/

March 12, 2022 marks the day of what would have been Kerouac's 100th birthday. Click on calendar page for festivities related to Jack's 100th Birthday.

Joan Anderson Letter Found

On March 8, 2017, the Joan Anderson Letter was (finally) sold at auction at Heritage Auctions. Neal Cassady's THE JOAN ANDERSON LETTER to Jack Kerouac sold for $206,250; also Kerouac's original typescript for The Dharma Bumssold for $137,500.

The Joan Anderson Letter was originally auctioned off by Christie's Auction House in New York on June 16th, 2016. The Joan Anderson letter failed to receive the minimum bid of $400,000. (The bidding ended at $380,000).

CASSADY, Neal (1926-1968). Typed letter with ending completed in autograph and with autograph additions, corrections, and deletions in pencil and pen, known as the “Joan Anderson Letter,” to JACK KEROUAC (1922-1969), Denver, 17 December 1950. 18 pages, comprising nearly 16,000 words, some pale browning and minor marginal chipping; see below for accompanying typed leaf by Cassady and envelope.

The Joan Anderson Letter has a very interesting history.

Neal Cassady's 16,000 word Joan Anderson letter, written to Kerouac in 1950 and supposedly lost overboard from a houseboat a couple of years later, the letter that inspired Kerouac to a new writing style that became On The Road, has resurfaced. It seems that it had not been lost but was actually sent to a publisher to be considered for publication. It was supposed to be auctioned off in December 2014 but the auction was halted. Both the Neal Cassady estate and Jack Kerouac Estate are fighting over ownership, along with the current owner, Jean Spinosa. Finding the complete letter creates more questions than it answers. Why didn't Ginsberg remember that he had sent the letter to a publisher? Is it a manuscript? There are lots of news articles about this letter. Check it out.

Read an excerpt in Time magazine.

___________________

On The Road, the movie, premiered May 23, 2012 at the Cannes Film Festival and released in the US in 2013.

Starring Sam Riley as Sal Paradise, Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty, Kristen Stewart as Marylou, and Kristen Dunst as Camille. The movie was directed by Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries), screenplay by Jose Rivera.

Clink on this link for DHARMA beat's On The Road Movie Page for more info and a review.

 

Big Sur - Released in 2013

Michael Polish, the director of Twin Falls Idaho, Northfork and The Astronaut Farmer, directed Big Sur, a film based on the Kerouac novel that tells the story of his emotional troubles after gaining fame and fortune. It stars Jean-Marc Barr as Kerouac, Josh Lucas as Neal Cassady and Kate Bosworth as their female companion Billie. Big Sur will also feature's Anthony Edwards, Rahda Mitchell, Balthazar Getty and Henry Thomas.

 

DHARMA beat links: Keoruac Typing

Jack Kerouac Page

Main Jack Kerouac page with a brief bio, quotes, character aliases in his novels, and bibliography.

LinksKerouac Links

This is an extensive page of links to other websites that feature Kerouac, beats, and other good authors.

Kerouac reading scroll

Kerouac Corner

With Dave Moore and friends. This is an occasional column, and will talk about Jack Kerouac and his writings. He will also respond to an occasional inquiry about some aspect about Kerouac's life and writings.

Kerouac Kerouac Stuff Page 

This is where new Kerouac stuff is listed like books, CDs, and movies. It is also a space for your Kerouac or beat related (or inspired) item.

Dharma Beat

Order Back Issues

See back issues of DHARMA beat - For Information on getting back issues of DHARMA beat. (12 issues published) click to see  the list of articles in each issue.

DHARMA beat is currently out of print, but back issues are available.

Kerouac Looking Kerouac Articles

A collection of Kerouac related articles that have appeared in past issues of DHARMA beat and other contributions. There could be some good reading.

Kerouac FaceBooks for Sale

A selection rare, out of print, and reading copies of Kerouac, beats, vintage paperbacks, and more.
Irsay

The Scroll/Roll Sale

As most of us know, Kerouac typed On The Road on a long scroll. To read articles about the "On The Road" scroll sale (May 22, 2001) click here. Also includes the original New York Times book review that got the whole thing started.

 

Kerouac StampWe welcome any comments.

Back issues of DHARMA beat, a Jack Kerouac newsletter, are available. Issue 12 was the last issue published by DHARMA beat (Spring 1999).    It was fun while it lasted. SAMPLE COPIES are available for $3.00. Back issues are available of the first 12 issues. (link to back issues) Make checks payable to A. Gyenis.

If you wish to send an e-mail  Kerouaczin@aol.com

Mail to:    

A. Gyenis,  DHARMA beat, PO BOX 5174, Eureka, CA  95502-5174.  

Thanks and enjoy,

peace,
Attila Gyenis, DHARMA beat 

 

Allen Ginsberg wrote (in issue 8 of DHARMA beat):

"Poetry America was born before us & will live after us
-- and would've been visible for every eye to see
but for the scientists of poetry & sociologists of Academy
measuring the vast mind with monkey calipers
& teaspoons of ink --"
Enjoy your journey on the road. 
The End

PEACE