Category Archives: Beat Sushi

usually brief spontaneous videos, usually directed to someone in particular, about books, the beat generation that lives if we raise our hand and live intentionally, books and publishing too

Rock and the Beat Generation interview (+ usual poets & postal)

Quick hits (while pausing music by Neal Casal and next up Television –the band not the communication medium – to talk about Kerouac in Kobe interview in Simon Warner’s “Rock and the Beat Generation” newsletter and encouraging you to sign-up… plus:

* remarks about two inspiring poets: Ron Whitehead & Marc Zegans

* the conundrums/excitement of adding sparks to tinder to help a creative project gain kindling-like momentum

* review of upcoming storytime on “writers read the early sht” with Jason Emde

* a note about my occasional podcast “Postcards from Gravelly Beach” and the machinations of moving feeds from relatively ancient times

* a hint I’m working on a poetry book tentatively titled “a circumnavigation of sorts”

* something about my weird illness ME/CFS and recent articles in the Atlantic and San Francisco Chronicle

+ usual thing about “let me know you’re paying attention and I’ll send you a postcard” maybe

Interview #12: Dave Olson
A Canadian who long went East reveals the ins and outs of a magnificent Kerouac event in Japan forced to dodge the impact of the global pandemic yet which hauled triumph from the jaws of defeat

from Simon Warner “Interview #12: Dave Olson” Rock and Beat Generation
Television and the Beats and DOA and other items

PS I’ll add links to relevant things later / still in the barn listening to records and writing letters. In the meanwhile, you’re clever and I’m confident can figure it out on your own.

Yup, that is a signed *by councillor Joe Keithley and Randy Rampage (rip)* original pressing of DOA’s Hardcore 81 on the wall

Oh links!

Since we are here and archiving

Marc Zegans chimed in with:

Another charming, delightful, and thoroughly engaging video from Dave Olson. Really appreciated his warm shout out on behalf of Lyon Street and my work as a creative development advisor and friend to writers and artists of all stripes.

By the way, Dave was very recently interviewed in a fascinating piece by Simon Warner. You can check it out on Simon’s Rock and the Beat Generation series.

Ron Whitehead chimed in with:

Thank you Dave!! I included Richard Hell in the 48-hour non-stop music & poetry NEW ORLEANS INSOMNIACATHON which historian Douglas Brinkley and I produced in August 1996. I introduced Richard to a packed house. Doug and I got a historic marker put up in front of William S. Burroughs home there in Algiers, across the Mississippi River. Burroughs did a phone interview with us, as part of the INSOMNIACATHON. We included many of The Beats. Dave, you’re interview in Simon Warner’s important and fantastic fun Rock and The Beat Generation is excellent! I love your posts! Keep up the great work!!

One more note:

… float up all the poetic boats and gently encourage reader to dig into your works on their terms. I’ve found – in the journey of a creative artist – sometimes the rewards come unexpectedly and are different than originally thought, so whilst waiting, can feel a bit lonely so best make yourself comfortable to enjoy the experience.

dvo
Might Get Lonely - Reap Rewards
Might Get Lonely – Reap Rewards

“Kerouac in Kobe” – *On the Road scroll* in Japan / video interview + exhibit

grab your passport, map and suitcase and let’s go Go GO!

A rollicking mixed-media revue of a groundbreaking exhibit in Japan featuring a stunningly-reproduced facsimile of the taped-together sc/roll manuscript of what became Jack Kerouac’s seminal, counter-culture-sparking novel “On The Road.”

Blurb: A lively conversation between storymaker Dave Olson and with Professor & President of Beat Studies Assoc., Matt Theado of Kobe City University Dept of Foreign Studies, at BB Plaza Art Museum in Kobe, Japan, summer of 2021 after the event was delayed for a year for *public health conundrums* and re-imagined to include a truly remarkable collection of ephemera, chapbooks, broadsides, posters, typewrtier, records, various editions of On the Road, related book, maps, Japanese language glossary and much more – most provided by Kazu-san of Flying Books of Tokyo.

The fast-placed video includes many artifacts from the exhibit and from the host’s life of travels and evidence of “living beat” to connect the experience to *anyone’s* life (that means “you” if you choose).

Oh so glad you stopped by for “Kerouac in Kobe”

Riffs:

  • Logistics of creating the”authorized forgery/reproduction” of the noted taped-together original manuscript & how the original plan of bringing the original manuscript (and Mr. Jim Canary) was thwarted
  • The symposium of writers, scholars, translators held at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies (YT archive)
  • Observations about Jack’s process in writing the work (and dispelling the myth of a benzadrine-induced manic type-athon) including the importance of “working with you got,” notebooks, list taking, knowing where you are going
  • How he immediately re-typed on “regular paper”, changing names and making ready for publication
  • Scenes of life of America in transition at the time, the embrace of bohemian culture
Continue reading “Kerouac in Kobe” – *On the Road scroll* in Japan / video interview + exhibit

Curiously Punctuated (and Ready) ~ Beat Sushi with Jason Emde

Curiously Punctuated (and Ready) ~ Beat Sushi with Jason Emde

Spontaneous riffs and readings from world rambling renegade letter writer with a new master’s thesis, Jason Emde who, as it goes from his home in Gifu also makes a podcast called “writers read their early sh!t”. 

oh Hi, let’s try on hats and listen to records

From the Kura barn studio, Dave meanders about Japan geography and “things not done” and hat selections for Kyoto before reading Jason’s letter to Molly, then rambles on about similarities in geography, points of view, adventures whilst recounting how he came across Jason’s work stretching over a decade or more (and including naval officer Bob), oh then 2 freeverse poems (after Gary Snyder) with Jason’s streams about “usual days” in Gifu and Vernon.

Beat Sushi with Jason Emde at daveostory (art by Ichiro Stanley)

Plus name checks for James Joyce’s Ulysses, Christopher Trottier, Marshall McLuhan, Ken Babbs, Ken Bole, music bits from Bachman Turner Overdrive Live at Budokon, John K Samson (of The Weakerthans etc), hooray for ampersands and em-dashes! Also Amsterdam, London, Vancouver, Bali and most points in between, except Africa, haven’t gone there. 

Continue reading Curiously Punctuated (and Ready) ~ Beat Sushi with Jason Emde

Community & Correspondence ~ Beat Sushi for Dan in Mass & Jack Kerouac 100

Thanks to Dan for the package of friendship, ephemera, artifacts and goodness

Taking a break from chainsaw noise cutting down bamboo, DaveO rambles on about the importance of community and correspondence (yes spelled incorrectly) – especially while in a rough patch with a chronic and complex illness #MECFS – and shares a remarkable package sent by Kerouac enthusiast Dan Bacon in Massachusetts including: scrapboook, artifacts, ephemera and memorabilia from Lowell, Jack Kerouac’s 100th birthday, and other events including the impending Town and the City music festival which inspires playing of lovely blue Tanya Donelly and Parkington Sisters vinyl record. 

Also shows new-ish Cascadia passport and meanders about Gary Snyder in Japan years ago and his recent convos with poet Wang Pang ++ love of maps, letters, stories, and how we’re all part of the erstwhile Beat tradition if we are living intentionally, respecting others’ voices and creating goodness. 

Happy to be your fan, fondly etc. from Giggling Piglet Studio in a historic Kura storehouse in Tsuchida, Okayama, Japan.

Beat Sushi: Jack Kerouac spins for “Brian Land”

From a kura barn in provincial Japan, DaveO kicks off “Beat Sushi” by sending greetings to Beat / Deadhead / Prankster / Political fixer(?) Brian Hassett with a meandering answer to a simple question about a Jack Kerouac vinyl box set.

Along with spinning Velvet Underground and Jack’s “Western Movies” with Al Cohn and Zoot Sims from “The Last Word” disc, your rambling host talks about:

  • * JK’s recent centenary & events in Lowell, Mass etc
  • * a phone call from Lowell with Brian and Thomas the German architect
  • * plus namechecks for: Beat Museum’s event in San Francisco; Jim Irsay and Mr. Canary’s sc/rol etc adventures in LA and beyond
  • * bit of SxSW flashback (missing pals & hi/jinks)
  • * and a look around the Giggling Piglet Studio with records, books, typewriters, flags, ephemera and whatnot

Dig Jack Kerouac festivities in Lowell roundup riff at Brian Land: https://brianhassett.com/2022/03/kerouacs-100th-birthday-celebration-in-lowell/

Much more Beat & counter-culture literary goodness, fill yer boots!

(Brief) Intro to The Beat Generation #video

A rollicking rapid-fire, mixed-media introduction to The Beat Generation – made especially for youth (specifically, a 11th grade lit class at a DoD base school) – with topics including:

  • what made The Beats, the beats (ergo: time, place, circumstance, intentions, global mindset, searching for “holy”)
  • characteristics of style (freeverse, spontaneous prose, collaboration, diversity, art + craft + integrity)
  • notable writers and characters including: Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg William S. Burroughs, Gary Snyder, Neal Cassady, Lawrence Ferlinghetti
  • roots and branches extending from the Beats like: Merry Pranksters, folkies, hippies, yippies, punks, DIY and even “digital nomads”
  • riffs about censorship, “obscenity” trials, sexuality, religiosity
  • call to action about the importance everyone with something to say “saying it” – including YOU
  • plus more notable writers: Gregory Corso, Richard Brautigan, Ruth Weiss, Diane DiParma & currently working Ron Whitehead and Anne Waldman
  • namechecks and cameos for: The Clash, Tom Waits, Jello Biafra, Ken Kesey, Wang Ping, Masa Uehara, Nanao Sakaki many more…

Presented from a historic barn in provincial Japan with vinyl records, artifacts, ephemera, loads of books, postcards etc – by storymaker Dave Olson who invites you to ask questions via postcard (address included within).

Continue reading (Brief) Intro to The Beat Generation #video

“Meet the Beats“ ~ From 6 Poets San Fran 1955 to *everywhere*

A rapid-fire introduction to the “Beat Generation” focused on the story of “6 Poets at Gallery 6” reading Oct, 1955 SF CA when Allen Ginsberg, Phillip Whalen, Gary Snyder, Micheal McClure, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, Lawrence Ferlinghetti et al were all in the room for a reading hosted by Kenneth Rexroth that would go into legend and launch a poetry renaissance in San Francisco and the world.

Includes extended erstwhile members of the movement and “what happened” after that night as the poets and their friends scattered their influence globally (with, not surprisingly, a little bit of extra emphasis on Japan, Zen, India/Nepal) plus Merry Pranksters, Furthur bus, Grateful Dead and even the Simpsons. Whoa!

i really think you are gonna dig this story

Lots of the usual ephemera, show & tell, couple of vinyl records, loads of books, various digressions and asides, hats & homework.

Continue reading “Meet the Beats“ ~ From 6 Poets San Fran 1955 to *everywhere*

Poets, Passports, Postcards in the Cascadia Consulate

Burning sage, sharing global postal arrivals, variety of historic & alt passports, dropping needle on Ginsberg’s Howl, digressions on reconciliation, exhaustion & <3 for pals & family. 

Poets, Passports, Postcards in the Cascadia Consulate

Feeling weary, burning sage and obviously *not at his best* Dave meanders through topics including (not necessarily in this order):

Passports galore! From CCCP, Yugoslavia, USA, Albania, Romania and *alt* passports from The Matinee Band https://thematineemusic.com and Cascadia Bioregion https://cascasdiabioregion.org / with my *important photo choosing process* {and yes this dear old grain storehouse is the Setouchi Consulate of Cascadia}. Come get your passport stamped (just not right now). 

Membership for the Beat Museum (join/participate/visit http://kerouac.com) Leading to riffs about Jack Kerouac Alley, City Lights bookstore (http://citylights.com) and my photo tour of the North Beach, San Francisco environs.

First spins of Allen Ginsberg’s Howl on red vinyl (thanks ScurvyDawg) along with ephemera and riffs about the “6 Poets at 6 Gallery” (legendary reading) and how you can do something like that, i.e.: 1) make a poster and postcard, 2) invite folks, 3) pass a hat for wine. 

And *Loads* of postcards and packets from:

* Sri Lanka (see Rasika’s YouTube channel @CeylonRelation)

* Powell River, BC; Olympia (Greece, not Washington); Kentucky

* Estonia with items from Aqaba, Jordan (maybe you’ve heard from Lawrence of Arabia)

Musing about phone calls with Uncle Mark, buddies Scales in Montreal and Kemp in Vancouver, and pal Cam’s 50th birthday (I made a video with ukulele)

And even:

* Being good papa and hubby (so lucky! hot dinner and bath)

* Visitor Ted (mountain guide) and a new book case so filled with wonder! 

* Gord Downie’s Secret Path and final days

* First Nations reconciliation & shame of residential school (poem)

* DownieWenjack foundation (donate)

* Indian Residential School Survivor’s Society (donate)

* Brother on Diego Garcia and flashback to Ghandruk, Annapurna district, Nepal

* Miracle of Death” and being weak and making art through the transition

* Larry’s Dark Star Ranch and not knowing whether a particular beast is an Elk or a Deer (indeed! we collectively know so little)

Other rambling meanderings about feeling a bit exhausted from this year of house renovation, firewood (first fire and making firestarters) and getting adorable son Ichiro into school, plus so many medical appointments and endless paperwork to get properly settled. Whew.

How to find my address: tip = anywhere/everywhere.

Yes I do send a lot of postcards. You can join the club if that’s of interest ($5 gets you a piece of handmade art each month) https://daveostory.com/shop 

Plus thanks for Banghi and Maddog for holding books and records (support book stores and humans)

So much, so little, such nothing and everything and anything. Settle in. 

Fondy, daveo, Tsuchida Cottage

PS tips of how to improve lighting and sound welcome (memo: there is no natural light in the barn, i want to make well-lit 2 camera videos with quality sound with as minimal processing (moving stuff and files around) as possible. hit me up with ideas