Jack Kerouac is well-noted for typing/writing his epic novels of personal discovery against a backdrop of a rapidly changing America on long sc/rolls of paper – to maintain momentum rather than pausing to change sheets among other reasons.
There are around 8 of these sc/rolls in existence and all were sold off by the estate managers (rather than archived in museums/libraries) the location of most is unknown… however the most *famous* of the rolls “On the Road” sold for some millions and is now coming for exhibition display to Kobe, Japan at BB Plaza Museum.
Of course, Kerouac is a massive influence on my life of hitchhiking, train/ship riding, poetry writing, and finding beauty in the downtrodden and digging into life with vigour and authenticity.
Along with the majestic original tome of a genre-defining and culture-changing book comes a series of events curated by Prof Matt Theado and colleagues at Kobe University [see Kerouac Comes to Japan FB to follow along] including documentary film screening, symposium and more.
Among the line-up is your pal (me) doing a 2 hour hands-on analog workshop about making stories in various formats. I’ll be bringing the old-timey suitcases filled with surprises from the archive and supplies for making new artifacts in real-time.
If you are in Japan, consider coming along – seriously, we’ll have a good time. Not in Japan? Maybe i’ll capture some goodness for ya but if you can spread the word and/or send some vibes, ’tis well-appreciated.
Read on for details of my gig and then more about the event in general… Also, spending time with the roll i suspect will feel like see King Tutankhamun’s death mask (Seattle 1978).
Note: See evidence of presentation style from previous gigs
DaveO Workshop / in Japanese and English(ish)
Workshop: “We Are the Stories We Create”
Lecturer: Dave Olson (designer)
April 29 (Wed.) 14:00 to 16:00
Venue: BB Plaza Museum of Art (web | FB)
Capacity: 20 people / Free participation (* Exhibition ticket required) / Advance reservation system / First come first served / Presented in English and Japanese
Handmade workshop! Participants create their stories using typewriters, paper, scissors and glue, and explore various ways to share them. Create one booklet together. We work with original materials such as mimeographs and hand-made books shown by instructor Dave.
4月29日（水） 14:00-16:00 会場：BBプラザ美術館
定員：20名 ／ 参加無料（＊展覧会観覧券の提示要）／ 事前予約制 ／ 先着順 ／ 日英対応
講師：デイブ・オルソン（デザイナー）
手作りワークショップ！参加者はタイプライターと紙、ハサミやのりを使ってそれぞれ物語を作り、それをシェアする様々な方法を探ります。一緒に１つの冊子を作成します。講師デイブがお見せするガリ版刷り、手綴り本などの実物を参考に工作します。
Prof. Matt Theado’s Exhibit Overview
When: May 24 (Sun) 13:00 -17:00 (door opens 12:30)
Where: Shimabun Hall BB Plaza 4F BB Plaza Museum of Art 4-2-7 Iwayanakamachi, Nada-ku, Kobe, TEL 078-802-9286
Free Admission, but limited to the first 200 (Registration required: you will soon be able to sign up online. I’ll provide details) / Interpreter provided
Speakers:
Minami Aoyama (Writer, translator; translated On the Road and other books by Kerouac)
Motoyuki Shibata (Visiting Professor at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, editor of MONKEY, translator)
Hilary Holladay (Beat Studies scholar, former director of the Kerouac Center for American Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell; editor of What’s Your Road, Man?: Critical Essays on Jack Kerouac’s On the Road)
Matthew Theado (Professor at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies; author of Understanding Jack Kerouac and The Beats: A Literary Reference)
Chair: Hitomi Nabae (Professor at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies)
Music: Live Jazz performed by a five-piece jazz ensemble
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
会場：BBプラザ美術館
神戸市灘区岩屋中町4-2-7 BBプラザ2F TEL 078-802-9286
シンポジウム「ジャック・ケルアックの『オン・ザ・ロード』
5月24 日（日）13:00-17:00 （開場 12:30）
会 場：シマブンホール（BBプラザ4F）
定 員：200名 聴講無料（＊展覧会観覧券の提示要）・事前予約制 ・先着順 ・通訳付
講演者：
青山南（作家、翻訳家）
柴田元幸（神戸市外国語大学客員教授、東京大学名誉教授、『MO
ヒラリー・ハラデイ（ビート研究者、
マシュー・セアドー（神戸市外国語大学教授、著作 Understanding Jack Kerouac, The Beats: A Literary Reference）
司 会：難波江仁美（神戸市外国語大学教授）
