Jack Kerouac's 1947 New Year's Eve

According to Douglas Brinkley's Jack Kerouac: Windblown World (2004), this is Jack's December 31, 1947 journal entry:

Party at Tom's* in Lynbrook, but how sad I was at midnight, without a girl, alone in a room playing "Auld Lang Syne" on the piano with one finger. But afterwards what drinking & yelling, drinking enormously with Jack Fitzgerald**, and telling great stories and talking, right into morning --

* Probably Tom Livornese, a Columbia student and Kerouac friend.
**Jack's friend and drinking buddy from Horace Mann, Columbia, and after.

Being into things before they're cool: George Shearing

I don't know why, but this "year in review" story made little tickly fingers run up my spine.

"Jack Kerouac was into George Shearing before it was cool to be into George Shearing (or into Jack Kerouac, for that matter) . . . . The squares still didn't get it, man."

What are you into that's not cool (yet)?

12 Hangover Cures From Famous Heavy Drinkers

Click here for an interesting compilation in The Atlantic. Burroughs is there, as is Hemingway. Once again, Jack didn't make the list. So, here's a question for Daily Beat readers: What did Jack do for a hangover? Cite your source, please.

10 Famous Authors' Famous Addictions

Burroughs is in here, as is Hemingway. Jack is missing, but we all know what his addiction was: life.

2012 Kerouac-olutions

Herewith are my Kerouac-olutions for 2012, starting with how I did on 2011's.

Update on 2011 Kerouac-olutions (click here for original post):
1. Read Dr. Sax
I did not accomplish this. I lent my copy to a friend, Kerri, and she still has it. I have ordered another and will put it on the 2012 list.
2. Take Crystal to Lowell Celebrates Kerouac!
Done.
3. Write a Kerouac-inspired song.
I did not accomplish this. Didn't even make a start on it.
4. Write 56 poems.
I didn't even come close, although I wrote a few (see my other blog) and was fairly consistent in posting them at dversepoets.com for Open Link Night.
5. Daydream a lot.
I don't think I accomplished this either. I daydreamed. Just not a lot.
6. Take guitar lessons.
I did accomplish this and it continues, thanks to Crystal setting up my first one for me. My hand troubles got to the point where playing the banjo was impossible, so improving my guitar playing became an important option.
7. Buy Crystal flowers at least once a month.
I think I accomplished this.
8. Read Hayduke Lives!
Sadly, I accomplished this. Love Abbey, just not this particular novel so much.
9. Write an article about Krishnamurti and special education.
Not accomplished. I did start some research, but the effort fizzled.
10. Travel somewhere new.
Done. For example, we went to Cobscook Bay State Park and Campobello Island.

So, I achieved about 50% of my 2011 Kerouac-olutions. Now it's time to make some for the approaching new year.

1. Read Dr. Sax.
2. Read A Dance with Dragons (is this appropriate since I already started it?).
3. Read On The Road: The Original Scroll (again, already started).
4. Buy Crystal flowers at least once a month.
5. See the glass half full more often.
6. Travel somewhere new.
7. Figure out what my next book will be about and actually start it.
8. Sell one of my banjos and get a better guitar.
9. Take advantage of the On The Road movie hype to advertise and sell The Beat Handbook.
10. Learn to love my job or find a new one.

Some of these are measurable, some aren't. Some are too easy, some aren't. What the Hell . . . it's a list of things to accomplish in 2012 and I may or may not succeed. It's a start. At least I put forth the effort to commit it to writing and share it.

The Daily Beat as a book!

Crystal turned my blog into a book and gave it to me for Christmas. This is an awesome present for anyone who blogs, given that it turns a blog into a hard copy book that even the non-Internet-savvy folks in your circle can enjoy, plus it's an instant heirloom. Additionally, it provides some security in case Blogger (or WordPress or TypePad) experiences some catastrophic loss and your years of posts go bye-bye.

Click here to turn your own blog into a book.

I recommend it! Thanks, sweetie!

Merry Christmas from The Daily Beat

Merry Christmas to everyone out there who chances to read The Daily Beat on occasion. I got some swell beat presents this year (see above). Now the big decision: I had just started reading Maggie Cassidy, and to tell you the truth, I wasn't too engaged with it. Then I get two Kerouac books for Christmas - a perfect excuse to delay Maggie to another time. Now, On The Road: The Original Scroll or The Sea is My Brother: The Lost Novel?