Kerouac Selected Letters, 1940-1956

by Kerouac, Jack (Author); Charters, Ann (Editor/introduction)

• ISBN13: 9780140234442
• ISBN10: 0140234446
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-03-01
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)

Summary

It was in his letters that Jack Kerouac set down the raw material that he transmuted into his novels, exploring and refining the spontaneous prose style that became his trademark. The letters in this volume, written between 1940, when Kerouac was a freshman at college, and 1956, immediately before his breathless leap into celebrity with the publication of On the Road, offer invaluable insights into Kerouac's family life, his friendships with Neal and Carolyn Cassady, Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, and William S. Burroughs, his travels, love affairs, and literary apprenticeship. At once fascinating reading and a major addition to Kerouac scholarship, here is a rare portrait of the writer as a young adventurer of immense talent, energy, and ambition in the midst of writing and living an American legend.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction	xxi
Chronology	xxv
1940
October 12 To Sebastian Sampas	3	(4)
1941
February 26 To Sebastian Sampas	7	(1)
February 26 To Sebastian Sampas	8	(1)
March 5 To Sebastian Sampas	9	(1)
March 18 To Sebastian Sampas	9	(1)
March 25 To Sebastian Sampas	10	(1)
April 15 To Sebastian Sampas	10	(1)
May 5 To Sebastian Sampas	11	(1)
Late summer To Caroline Kerouac	12	(4)
Mid-September To Sebastian Sampas	16	(1)
Late September To Sebastian Sampas	17	(1)
October 8 To Sebastian Sampas	18	(3)
1942
July 15 To Norma Blickfelt	21	(5)
August 25 To Norma Blickfelt	26	(2)
September 26 To Sebastian Sampas	28	(2)
November To Sebastian Sampas	30	(5)
1943
January 10 To Bill Ryan	35	(3)
February To Sebastian Sampas	38	(5)
Early March To Sebastian Sampas	43	(2)
March 15 To Jack Kerouac from Sebastian Sampas	45	(2)
March 15 To Sebastian Sampas	47	(2)
March 24 To Jack Kerouac from Gabrielle Kerouac	49	(1)
March 25 To Sebastian Sampas	50	(4)
March 30 To Gabrielle Kerouac	54	(2)
Early April To John MacDonald	56	(2)
April 7 To George J. Apostolos	58	(3)
Undated To Cornelius Murphy	61	(2)
May 3 To Jack Kerouac from Gabrielle Kerouac	63	(2)
May 26 To Jack Kerouac from Sebastian Sampas	65	(5)
September 18 To Edith Parker	70	(5)
1944
After March 12 To Sebastian Sampas	75	(1)
September 1 To Mrs. Parker	76	(2)
September 15 To Jack Kerouac from Gabrielle Kerouac	78	(2)
October To Allen Ginsberg	80	(5)
1945
March 14 To Caroline Kerouac Blake	85	(5)
August 23 To Allen Ginsberg	90	(3)
September 2 To William S. Burroughs	93	(1)
September 6 To Allen Ginsberg	94	(5)
November 13 To Allen Ginsberg	99	(6)
1947
March 20 To Caroline and Paul Blake	105	(1)
April 19 To Hal Chase	106	(2)
July 14 To William S. Burroughs	108	(2)
July 24 To Gabrielle Kerouac	110	(1)
July 24 To Gabrielle Kerouac	110	(1)
July 28 To Gabrielle Kerouac	111	(1)
July 29 To Gabrielle Kerouac	111	(2)
August 26 To Neal Cassady	113	(6)
August 26 To Allen Ginsberg	119	(4)
August 27 To Caroline and Paul Blake	123	(2)
September 13 To Neal Cassady	125	(5)
September 25 To Caroline Kerouac Blake	130	(3)
October 5 To Jack Kerouac from Neal Cassady	133	(6)
1948
January 2 To Allen Ginsberg	139	(4)
March 16 To Caroline and Paul Blake	143	(3)
April To Allen Ginsberg	146	(2)
May 7 To Neal Cassady	148	(3)
May 18 To Allen Ginsberg	151	(2)
June 15 To Gabrielle Kerouac	153	(1)
June 27 To Neal Cassady	154	(4)
July 10 To Neal and Carolyn Cassady	158	(4)
September 5 To Neal Cassady	162	(2)
Fall To Paul Blake	164	(1)
October 2 To Neal Cassady	165	(1)
October 3 To Neal Cassady	165	(4)
October 19 To Hal Chase	169	(2)
November 17 To Allen Ginsberg	171	(1)
December 8 To Neal Cassady	172	(4)
December 15 To Allen Ginsberg	176	(7)
1949
February 7 To Allen Ginsberg	183	(1)
March 9 To Mark Van Doren	184	(1)
March 29 To Ed White	185	(2)
April 23 To Alan Harrington	187	(2)
May 15 To Hal Chase	189	(2)
June 10 To Allen Ginsberg	191	(4)
June 24 To John Clellon Holmes	195	(6)
June 28 To Elbert Lenrow	201	(7)
July 26 To Allen Ginsberg	208	(3)
July 28 To Neal Cassady	211	(7)
September 28 To Elbert Lenrow	218	(1)
December 27 To Charles Sampas	219	(7)
1950
July 27 To Frank Morley	226	(1)
September 8 To Yvonne Le Maitre	227	(3)
October 6 To Neal Cassady	230	(4)
October 17 To Stella Sampas	234	(1)
November 21 To Neal Cassady	235	(2)
December 3 To Neal Cassady	237	(5)
December 27 To Neal Cassady	242	(4)
December 28 To Neal Cassady	246	(21)
1951
January 3 To Neal Cassady	267	(6)
January 8 To Neal Cassady	273	(8)
January 9 To Neal Cassady	281	(12)
January 10 To Neal Cassady	293	(14)
January 10 To Neal Cassady	307	(3)
January 11 To Allen Ginsberg	310	(2)
February 20 To Alfred Kazin	312	(2)
March 1 To Alfred Kazin	314	(1)
May 22 To Neal Cassady	315	(3)
June 10 To Neal Cassady	318	(2)
June 24 To Neal Cassady	320	(1)
July 30 To James Laughlin	321	(1)
August 30 To Stella Sampas	322	(1)
August 31 To Neal Cassady	323	(2)
October 1 To Neal Cassady	325	(1)
October 9 To Neal Cassady	326	(2)
December 27 To Carl Solomon	328	(5)
1952
February 24 To James Laughlin	333	(1)
March 12 To John Clellon Holmes	334	(6)
April 3 To Jack Kerouac from William S. Burroughs	340	(1)
April 7 To Carl Solomon	341	(2)
April 8 To Allen Ginsberg	343	(2)
May 10 To Allen Ginsberg	345	(9)
May 17 To Allen Ginsberg	354	(1)
May 18 To Allen Ginsberg	354	(4)
May 27 To Neal and Carolyn Cassady	358	(3)
June 3 To Carolyn Cassady	361	(5)
June 3 To John Clellon Holmes	366	(2)
June 5 To John Clellon Holmes	368	(4)
June 11 To Jack Kerouac from Allen Ginsberg	372	(4)
August 5 To Carl Solomon	376	(1)
October 8 To Allen Ginsberg	377	(3)
October 12 To John Clellon Holmes	380	(3)
November 8 To Allen Ginsberg	383	(2)
December 9 To Neal and Carolyn Cassady	385	(2)
December 9 To John Clellon Holmes	387	(2)
December 10 To Stella Sampas	389	(3)
December 28 To Allen Ginsberg	392	(3)
1953
January 10 To Neal and Carolyn Cassady	395	(2)
February 21 To Allen Ginsberg	397	(1)
April 25 To Gabrielle Kerouac	398	(2)
April To Neal Cassady	400	(2)
November 21 To Malcolm Cowley	402	(1)
December 3 To Carolyn Cassady	403	(4)
1954
February 19 To John Clellon Holmes	407	(1)
April 22 To Carolyn Cassady	408	(1)
Early May To Allen Ginsberg	409	(9)
May 17 To Carolyn Cassady	418	(6)
Summer To Allen Ginsberg	424	(1)
June 20 To Neal Cassady	425	(1)
July 2 To Carolyn Cassady	426	(3)
August 6 To Malcolm Cowley	429	(2)
August 11 To Allen Ginsberg	431	(1)
August 14 To Sterling Lord	432	(1)
August 23 To Allen Ginsberg	433	(7)
August 26 To Carolyn Cassady	440	(4)
Late summer To Robert Giroux	444	(2)
October 26 To Robert Lax	446	(3)
October 27 To Alfred Kazin	449	(3)
December To Allen Ginsberg	452	(5)
1955
January 18 To Allen Ginsberg	457	(9)
January 23 To Sterling Lord	466	(2)
February 2 To Sterling Lord	468	(1)
March 25 To Sterling Lord	469	(2)
Before April 15 To Neal Cassady	471	(4)
April 15 To Carolyn Cassady	475	(2)
After April 15 To Carolyn Cassady	477	(3)
Mid-May To William S. Burroughs	480	(2)
May 20 To Allen Ginsberg	482	(3)
May 27 To Allen Ginsberg	485	(1)
May 28 To Arabelle Porter	486	(2)
June To Allen Ginsberg	488	(1)
June 29 To Allen Ginsberg	489	(4)
July 4 To Malcolm Cowley	493	(1)
July 14 To Allen Ginsberg	494	(7)
July 19 To Malcolm Cowley	501	(2)
July 19 To Sterling Lord	503	(2)
August 7 To Allen Ginsberg	505	(2)
August 19 To Allen Ginsberg	507	(3)
August 19 To Sterling Lord	510	(1)
September 1-6 To Allen Ginsberg	511	(3)
September 11 To Malcolm Cowley	514	(3)
September 11 To Carolyn Cassady	517	(1)
September 20 To Malcolm Cowley	518	(3)
October 12 To John Clellon Holmes	521	(4)
October 12 To Stella Sampas	525	(3)
November 9 To Stella Sampas	528	(1)
November 10 To Sterling Lord	529	(2)
November 22 To Philip Whalen	531	(1)
December 30 To Carolyn Cassady	532	(3)
1956
January 5 To Philip Whalen	535	(3)
January 15 To Gary Snyder	538	(2)
January 16 To Gary Snyder	540	(2)
January 16 To Philip Whalen	542	(2)
January 17 To Gary Snyder	544	(2)
February 7 To Philip Whalen	546	(5)
February 14 To Gary Snyder	551	(10)
February 24 To Sterling Lord	561	(1)
February 24 To Lucien Carr	562	(2)
March 6 To Philip Whalen	564	(2)
March 8 To Gary Snyder	566	(5)
March 16 To Carolyn Cassady	571	(3)
Easter To Jack Kerouac from Gabrielle Kerouac	574	(1)
May 9 To Malcolm Cowley	575	(3)
May 27 To John Clellon Holmes	578	(3)
May To Gary Snyder	581	(5)
September To Peter Orlovsky	586	(1)
September 17 To Sterling Lord	586	(2)
October 7 To Sterling Lord	588	(2)
November 6 To John Montgomery	590	(2)
December 19 To John Clellon Holmes	592	(2)
December 26 To Allen Ginsberg	594	(2)
December 26 To Keith Jennison	596	(1)
December 31 To Philip Whalen	597	(4)
Notes	601	(10)
Books by Jack Kerouac	611	(2)
Index	613