Regular Daily Beat readers know that acclaimed poet and environmentalist Gary Snyder was immortalized in Jack Kerouac's best novel*, The Dharma Bums, as Japhy Ryder (he also appears once as Gary, an editing error). He appeared as Jarry Wagner in Desolation Angels and Big Sur, and as himself in Vanity of Duluoz.
Snyder turns 90 today! Despite my angst over jinxing him by saying it, as of Michael McClure's recent death, Snyder is the only reader left alive from the 1955 Six Gallery poetry reading. He's also one of a small number of close friends of Kerouac who are still around.
Click HERE for a brief bio and some of his poetry.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Snyder. And many more....
*Regular readers likewise know that I am just trolling them by calling The Dharma Bums Jack's best novel. It is, indeed, my favorite, but I would hesitate to argue that it's his best work.
2 comments:
I've seen Kerouac readers opine that The Dharma Bums is their favorite Kerouac novel enough times to think that it says something about that particular piece of work. All I know is that I can open any page and smile.
Happy birthday Gary.
It's the same way for me (the any page smile), Thomas.
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