Anyone in New York City able to go catch the auction? Lots close on Dec. 8th as i understand… Would make a heck of a Christmas present ?
Anyhow, Dharma Bums has a $240K USD opening bid with $300-500K estimate {my guess is $650K+ USD}
Including: “a green quarter morocco slipcase and chemise.” {best feature!}
Any of you in the area to go document the proceedings? (and say “hallo” to the new custodian)
Kerouac Big Sur Postcard
There are a whole bunch of other Kerouac artifacts up on this auction block including many typed letters including to Allen Ginsberg and other notable characters.
While most items, starting obviously with the original rolled typescript of “Dharma Bums” are a couple $,000 beyond me, can’t help but notice this original Kerouac Postcard from Big Sur which seems like it should *really be* in my kura studio – I mean it hits all of my marks right?
The price is not as eye-watering and the postmark is lovely. Estimate 1,000 – 2,000 USD Starting Bid 600 USD
still life of books under a mosquito net on bedsheets
Lists 2. Of 3. Note.
(for Karina, Billy and Danny)
//
As seen under a mosquito net in a cottage in provincial Japan – with
Wade Davis' "into the silence" and RickRubin's "creative act" & notebook/pen for scribbling musings, freeverse and of course, lists + {kerchief from India}
Note: Shaun Usher has curated/compiled/edited a remarkable series of beautifully designed oversized hardback books containing “letters of note” and in this case “lists of note”.
So very highly recommended for the obsessive and curious. I understand there are even performances with actors on stage reading some of the letters but I don’t really know the details.
current tatami-bedside reading / cycle through these (plus kiddo’s awsum books & – rather under-whelming Paris Review) semi-simultaneously as notion strikes
Includes: L. Ferlinghetti, DT Suzuki, H. Hesse, W. Davis, R. Rubin, K. Babbs & a compilation about Kyoto with my pal Tedward Taylor + own journal musings, natch
Do you read many books at once and delightfully remix them all in your head? Or do you stick to a more sensible and linear approach of one at a time?
Rick Rubin’s book arrived, in glorious hard cover. Lovely design and I’m sure full of goodness.
If I had my head together, I would give you a list of all these great recent interviews, including with Neil Young, Malcolm Gladwell and dozens of others – each one better than the last…
Plus a list of albums he produced (but you probably already know that), and namecheck that show he did with Paul McCartney where he deconstructs and unpacks stories songs which are so familiar in genial black-and-white goodness… however, im busy wearing my s3xy robot maid outfit tidying up the kitchen and just taking a break so you’re on your own
It’s a “creative act” after all.
[update, a few notes]:
In brief:
Note: it’s meditations, prompts, thoughts and musings about creativity… What it is, how to harness it, how to block out noise and negativity and do your own thing – and why all of that matters.
Note: super wise and for “real musicians” and sound engineers, he can come off as a bit of a edge case because he’s not technical in any sense… Has produced dozens of important albums but doesn’t really run a sound/mixing desk, doesn’t read music or play instruments per se but has an ability to bring out the vibe, push artists further into their work and produce something somewhat unexpected but somehow just right (usually).
His conversations with Neil Young are particularly good… Just listened to a Longform conversation with Iggy Pop as well and watch the series he did with Paul McCartney where he deconstructs Beatles/wings songs
Note: If you’re really curious… Here’s an extended conversation between renegade history pod maker Dan Carlin and Rick Rubin spanning all sorts of topics in and around his book but with numerous digressions, diversions and riffs
It’s not a “how to” or technical book.
Since I’m here,
Real question for “obsessive creative latent perfectionist” types:
How do you let go of the feeling of wanting to be doing all the time? How do you set aside creative ambitions and ‘turn off’?
I try to find balance & take long baths but always want to be “making” something.
{noted from bed #MECFS crash recovery mode – and yes, being in bed is the best place for me to be to recover from recent activities as the most important thing in my life is to take care of myself so I can be a good hubbo and pappa… So there’s that, just wanna wanna wanna…}
Gist: I read a poem at Word Vancouver online event with a splendid group of poets! Thanks to Isabella Mori and Muriel’s Journey folks for including me, and hat-tip to Kyle Hawke for editing.
here’s the whole event, stick-handled by Adam, i’m around the 28 min mark
Tip: buy the “Fire from the Heart: Winners of the 2022 Muriel’s Journey Poetry Prize” chapbook and read these poems. Powerful medicine!
Score directly from Amazon Japan for ¥964 {Also available from other country specific Amazon of course}
I’m reading at this unique & enchanting poetry event. Online & in person in Vancouver as part of 2022 Muriel’s Journey Poetry prize at Word Vancouver..
Tell your stories in the way that feels comfortable, like your favorite pair of shoes.
all the mediums are yours, just bring your unique story to make
Document in the way it feels natural to you. Doesn’t have to be a blog, can be a notebook with colored pencils, or buy yourself a fountain pen, or an audio recorder.
Indeed, whatever medium/form”add context and interestingness to tell a story,
Fck stats make art.
PS Vincent van Gogh was a heck of a letter writer, Henry David Thoreau was a solid botanist, Bob Dylan is a great painter, Joni Mitchell even more so, Nick Cave is an exceptional organizer… shall I go on? No no, you go on. (And let me know what you make)
The “origin document“ of Forgotten Vancouver Stories talk
Projects of all kinds, a talk/presentation in this case, usually start with some kind of plan… (seems obvious so i’ll explain further).
In this instance, this is the *origin document* of what turned into a talk for Pecha Kucha night Vancouver “All-Star edition” at Vogue Theatre in the 20 slides for 20 seconds each format. e
Later, the “slides” became part of a longer form version at “Poets, Punks and Revolutions: Forgotten Vancouver Stories,” Northern Voice in a three-dimensional mixed media environment (campfire on stage, easels, record players, a comfortable chair and so on.
The idea started at a sort-of-secret-hideout with single malt, in conversation with a (now-former) mayor of Vancouver, his chief of staff, and the CEO of a significant company. Realizing the mayor didn’t really know a lot of renegade Vancouver stories, especially around counter-culture, I riffed off a few and later thought might be useful, amusing/educational/entertaining, or whatever for a wider audience.
Written (maybe March 2021?) in reply to an association/community of creatives riffing off the Jack Kerouac writing for Japhy Ryder (*cough* modeled after Gary Snyder) about a rucksack revolution.
My feeling is the beat generation, the lost generation, romantics, punks/hippies/pranksters and/or whatever movement you want to namecheck are labels of convenience (we love to categorize) and – importantly – don’t live fossilized in amber.
Ergo: people who are creating today *honestly and authentically* are part of a continuous strand which occasionally picks up names along the way.
daveo
stash your gear in a rucksack and go be in the world
We are a *new* movement whether it has an “name” or not. If you are writing, sharing, wondering, wandering, rambling, sharing, filling notebooks with joy & impunity, endless letters to lovers you’ll never meet & living full on, going going going.
We are who we are, regardless of generation and accidental timings of birth or state of the world, we take in all that came before us and (perhaps) we spark what will come after us. We are the rucksack revolution who found a place to sit calmly, share widely, create honestly, give openly, inspire gently and carry-on intrepidly through it all.
Indeed for decades when I would ramble on about these literary heroes, most people would stare blankly, even lots of Deadheads didn’t trace the lineage but now, what was once “counter culture” has bubbled up into consensus reality so often.
We are the ambassadors and the diplomats but also the practitioners … and we have mighty tools available to us! So many writers were never “known“ because a suit in a New York City office didn’t *take a chance* on them (their efforts sequestered in shoeboxes in attics and lost to unknowing grandchildren or recycle bins) but now all of us can publish everything / all the time / everywhere and (importantly) cultivate a community like one does with a garden.
Now I’m so pleased and proud to help amplify these classic & contemporary stories in Japan through exhibits and examples, plus – again importantly – inspiring other people to create their stories and sprinkle them out to the universe in whatever form they choose.
Fck Stats, Make Art.
Right here / it’s all about the cycles: they showed us the way, keep your notebooks handy & pencil sharpened, remember to share, remember to seek, & remember to go go go.
“I see a vision of a great rucksack revolution thousands or even millions of young Americans wandering around with rucksacks, going up to mountains to pray, making children laugh and old men glad, making young girls happy and old girls happier, all of ’em Zen Lunatics who go about writing poems that happen to appear in their heads for no reason and also by being kind and also by strange unexpected acts keep giving visions of eternal freedom to everybody and to all living creatures …”
Jack Kerouac *fictional quoting* Japhy Ryder in Dharma Bums
mixed-media art library, global diary, project dossier and whole life documentation
