I just finished reading Brother Souls by Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. It's aptly subtitled, John Clellon Holmes, Jack Kerouac, and the Beat Generation (I note the proper use of the Oxford comma).
I knew Holmes and Kerouac were friends, but this immensely detailed biography shines a bright light on their close relationship. Along the way we are treated to an insider's look at the origins of the Beat Generation, with a focus on Holmes' life and writings as well as Kerouac's. Until I read this book I had under-estimated Holmes' influence on Kerouac and the Beats, as well as his literary accomplishments. He was quite a poet in addition to novelist and essayist (I am reading his novel, Go, currently. It's my third try but my interest was piqued this time.).
Brother Souls has been out a while (2010) so I'm not inclined to "review" it; suffice to say that it's required reading for any Kerouac or Beat fan. Friends of Holmes, the Charters had an inside track on Holmes' psyche plus they had posthumous access to his letters, journals, and manuscripts.
Lots of good stuff here. This book came recommended by my great friend, Richard Marsh, and as usual he didn't steer me wrong. Many times when one mentions the Beat Generation people think of three names: Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Burroughs. I would (now) add a fourth: John Clellon Holmes. This is not to take away from the contributions of others such as Corso and Carr, but Holmes was there, man, from early on, and he wrote Go (1952), the first Beat novel published (if you don't count Chandler Brossard's Who Walk in Darkness).
Not available at City Lights, but Amazon.com has it in stock as does AbeBooks.com.
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