The Joan Anderson Letter: The Holy Grail of the Beat Generation by Neal Cassady

 

For my reading pleasure, my great friend Richard Marsh recently sent me his copy of Neal Cassady's The Joan Anderson Letter: The Holy Grail of the Beat Generation. This is one way we socialize during the pandemic in lieu of sitting together and reading Kerouac aloud.

Serendipitously, I just received an e-mail from Jami Cassady, Neal's daughter, asking me if I would provide information to The Daily Beat readers on how to acquire a signed copy of the book. Of course, I said I would do that.

You can contact Jami by e-mail at jamicassady@gmail.com and she will be glad to arrange the transaction.

This is essential reading for any Kerouac or Beat Generation fan, and in case you've read some of it before (on-line or in The First Third), the book also includes a 35-page introduction by A. Robert Lee plus scanned copies of the original letter in its entirety. Additionally, there is a copy of a (naughty) typewritten page that was included at auction but it's uncertain if it was part of the original letter.

Give Jami a shout-out for The Daily Beat if this inspires you to order a book from her.