The Beat Generation
Whistlestop Bookshop opened in 1985. When I think about writers or categories or particular books that have sold steadily, without flagging, for over 30 years, I think I learn about my own philosophy of bookselling, I learn about my customers over time and generations, and I learn about the literature. Sometimes it is a book (Goodnight, Moon, say, or Killer Angels), sometimes it is a category (science fiction/fantasy or nature guides), and sometimes a particular author (Kurt Vonnegut, Jane Austen). I am both surprised and pleased that the Beats have sold since the beginning and show no signs of slowing down.
The history of the Beat Generation is complex and absorbing. Think of analogies being the Transcendentalists or the Lost Generation. Briefly and unfairly summarized, think of a small group of writers from very different backgrounds meeting at Columbia University after World War Two, creating the beginnings of a network that was nurtured in New York City but soon found simultaneous developments in San Francisco and the Pacific Northwest.
The Beats recognized and valued spontaneity, non-conformity, spiritual quests outside of social structures, suspicion of materialism, the intimate conversation between music (especially jazz) and language, and a burning, sometimes self-destructive, passion for freedom.
As you can see in our offerings here, Jack Kerouac was a central figure, as were Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Other names are here, too -- William S. Burroughs, Jr., Gary Snyder, Kenneth Rexroth, Carolyn Cassady. I will add titles and writers as I remember the associations, and as new critical or historical evaluations are published. Enjoy what my customers have been celebrating for three decades plus now!
DVD - On the Road
DVD - On the Road
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Walter Salles (Central Station, The Motorcycle Diaries) and based on the iconic novel by Jack Kerouac, ON THE ROAD tells the timeless story of Sal Paradise (Sam Riley, Control), a young writer whose life is shaken and ultimately redefined by the arrival of Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund, TRON: Legacy), a free-spirited, fearless, fast-talking Westerner and his girl, Marylou (Kristen Stewart, The Twilight Saga). Traveling cross-country, Sal and Dean venture out on a personal quest for freedom from the conformity and conservatism engulfing them in search of the unknown, themselves, and the pursuit of it - the pure essence of experience. Seeking uncharted terrain and the last American frontier, the duo encounters an eclectic mix of men and women who each indelibly impact their journey toward self-discovery. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings), Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man), Tom Sturridge (Pirate Radio), Academy Award® Nominee Amy Adams (The Master), Alice Braga (Predators), and Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), ON THE ROAD is a landmark odyssey from America s legendary Beat writer brought to vivid life by one of the most talented filmmakers of modern times.