Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Radio interview with Gerald Nicosia


Click here to listen to a KQED radio interview with author Gerald Nicosia, who discusses his book about the real-life Marylou from On The Road, Lu Anne Henderson. Nicosia talks about his experience training Kristen Stewart and her costars at beat boot camp in preparation for the upcoming film version of On The Road. He also ventures into related Kerouac topics, from the Steve Allen experience to how On The Road was actually written to beat generation philosophy (including a mention of Chef Boyardee canned spaghetti in the context of anti-materialism).

Nicosia is the author of the definitive Kerouac biography, Memory Babe, as well as a critically acclaimed history of the Vietnam veterans' movement, Home To War. He is current writing a critical biography of writer Ntozake Shange.

Because Nicosia is a leading Kerouac scholar and a great interviewee, listening to this interview is a required assignment for Daily Beat readers. You have until Friday at 4 PM, at which time a 2-page reflective paper is due.

3 comments:

Baltimore Colts fan said...

Do we have to use "reflective" paper, or can we just use the usual discount computer paper? My funds are stretched at the moment ....

Rick Dale, author of The Beat Handbook said...

Ha! Use the discount stuff but reflect ON it!

Baltimore Colts fan said...

Oh, OK ... I get it now.

Anyway, I for one will not miss the opportunity to hear this interview as I am forever awed by Mr. Nicosia's Kerouac-related work. I also heard him speak at the Lowell festival back in the early 90s, an interesting presentation that he had to make his own space for since he was not an "official" festival invite.