About the Author

Jack Kerouac wrote a number of hugely influential and popular novels. He is remembered as one of the key figures of the legendary Beat generation. As much as anything, he came to represent a philosophy, a way of life.


Ann Douglas is Professor of Comparative Literature at Columbia University. She has published numerous essays, articles and book reviews on American culture in papers and periodicals such as The New York Times, The Nation and Slate, and introductions for Little Women, Uncle Tom's Cabin and The Subterraneans among others. Prof. Douglas teaches twentieth-century American literature, film, music, and politics, with an emphasis on the Cold War era, African-American culture, and post-colonial approaches. She is currently at work on a book, Noir Nation- Cold War U.S. Culture 1945-1960.

Reviews

These are works by women who are great in their own right (and some who aren't), who loved and put up with the men who came to be known as the Beats. It is a valuable anthology of overlooked authors; the material is particularly pleasing since many of the authors read their own material. Ruth Weiss not only contributes poems and narration but also provides cool jazz to make the presentation a complete listening experience. Debra Winger does an excellent job with her portion of the narration. While there are a few less-than-scintillating pieces here (e.g., with comments of such ilk as "I slept with so-and-so and it was such an honor), the gems outweigh the dross. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.‘Reilly Reagan, Putnam Cty. Lib., Cookeville, Tenn.