{"id":3685,"date":"2013-04-23T20:55:01","date_gmt":"2013-04-23T20:55:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/archives\/?p=3685"},"modified":"2013-04-23T21:02:45","modified_gmt":"2013-04-23T21:02:45","slug":"through-the-lens-of-an-anthropologist-jack-kerouac-reading-october-in-the-railroad-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/archives\/2013\/04\/23\/through-the-lens-of-an-anthropologist-jack-kerouac-reading-october-in-the-railroad-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"Through the Lens of An Anthropologist: Jack Kerouac Reading ‘October In the Railroad Earth’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Carey MacDonald is an undergraduate Anthropology major and writing intern. In her blog series Through the Lens of an Anthropologist, Carey analyzes artifacts found in the collections of Archives and Special Collections<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Beat poets characterized themselves as non-conformists who dismissed the growing materialism of 1950s American society in order to lead a freer, more spontaneous lifestyle. The poetry of Jack Kerouac reflects the Beat ethos, and it is within the collection of spoken word records that we find several LP albums on which Kerouac recites his own poetry to the tune of music.<\/p>\n

Poetry for the Beat Generation<\/em> is the result of the 1959 collaboration of Jack Kerouac and composer Steve Allen under New York\u2019s Hanover-Signature Record Corporation. According to the LP\u2019s jacket, this recording session lasted only an hour, as decided by both Kerouac and Allen who felt that this first, improvised recording sufficed \u2013 and it certainly did. Their unusual collaboration illustrates through words and music the curious life of the nonconforming individual. In “October In The Railroad Earth”<\/a> Kerouac warbles about the many different people he sees in the diverse city of San Francisco. This poem is like Kerouac\u2019s own sociological study: he juxtaposes the rushing commuters with newspapers in hand with the roaming \u201clost bums\u201d and \u201cNegroes\u201d of the \u201cRailroad Earth.\u201d Kerouac furthers this theme of dualism when he remarks about things as ordinary as the movement of day to night and from sunny, blue sky to deep blue sky with stars.<\/p>\n

Despite this thematic duality however, it is apparent that Kerouac does not mean to draw distinctions between the groups of people he observes. Instead he familiarizes himself with all sorts of people, breaks down the social divisions separating them, and lives among them: \u201cNobody knew \u2013 or far from cared \u2013 who I was all my life, 3,500 miles from birth, all opened up and at last belonged to me in great America.\u201d<\/p>\n

While \u201cOctober In The Railroad Earth\u201d is comprised of his momentary observations of the world, Kerouac\u2019s recitation makes these observations inherently complex and compelling. The unique combination of his deep Lowell, MA accent with his precise word placement, expressive diction, and comical use of onomatopoeia makes this particularly vivid poem grab the attention of and resonate with the listener. Kerouac also tends to end his phrases with an upward inflection instead of dropping the last word to give pause to his thoughts. This is indicative of the almost never-ending stream of consciousness that runs through his mind, just like what each of us experiences every day.<\/p>\n

Steve Allen\u2019s improvised jazz piano accompaniment further enhances the potency of Kerouac\u2019s recitations in that it reinforces the tone of the poem. In the case of \u201cOctober In The Railroad Earth,\u201d Allen\u2019s rifts become fast and exciting when Kerouac discusses the busy commuters and then mellow out when day becomes night and when Kerouac comments on California\u2019s \u201cend of land sadness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sounds of The Universe Coming In My Window\u201d also reflects on an individual\u2019s everyday sensory experiences, such as listening to the humming of aphids and hummingbirds or marveling at the trees outside. Allen\u2019s piano and Kerouac\u2019s alliteration and echo amplify the \u201csounds of the universe\u201d described in this poem.<\/p>\n

The somber piano accompaniment on \u201cI Had A Slouch Hat Too One Time\u201d establishes the wistful tone of Kerouac\u2019s poem in which he laments that perhaps he does not belong with the Ivy League men of New York City who wear slouch hats and Brooks Brothers slacks and ties. Instead, on top of a now whimsical piano melody, he tells a (most likely) fictional tale about consuming drugs in the bathroom of a store in Buffalo, NY and then proceeding to steal a man\u2019s wallet and begin a shoplifting spree. This poem clearly reflects the non-conforming values of the Beats and calls into question the value of the posh lifestyle of the men described in the poem.<\/p>\n

Jack Kerouac and Steve Allen\u2019s Poetry for the Beat Generation effortlessly reveals the dissenting ideals of the Beats, and across the span of American history we see a similar pattern of social disdain for the status quo.<\/p>\n

Carey MacDonald, writing intern<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carey MacDonald is an undergraduate Anthropology major and writing intern. In her blog series Through the Lens of an Anthropologist, Carey analyzes artifacts found in the collections of Archives and Special Collections. The Beat poets characterized themselves as non-conformists who … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3685"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3685"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3701,"href":"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3685\/revisions\/3701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}