As the enigmatic author once wrote, “Life must be rich and full of loving—it’s no good otherwise, no good at all, for anyone” (Selected Letters, 1940-1956). To be surrounded by lovers of Jack Kerouac’s collection, those who believe in his fundamentally sound realities—to see them personify his enigmatic style, who capture a beat from rhythm in the air, is an experience any Kerouac fan shouldn’t miss.
‘Back to Jack’ is a scripted—yes, scripted—collective that will be presented by those who know him best—not just as words on paper, but as an entity who laid the groundwork for the exploration of intellectual and emotional propagation. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill open mic.
The talented vocal interpretations of Toledo’s finest bards will include Caroline Gauger, Jake Hammond, Michael Kocinski, Jonie McIntire and Kerry Trautman among others. All readers will present Kerouac’s archetypal works in unison, as well as in soliloquies. Adrian Lime and Kocinski, this year’s event organizers, built a new script based upon Kerouac’s letters and correspondence to editors and friends regarding some of his best-known works.
Kerouac’s novels On the Road, Big Sur and Vanity of Dulouz canonized the emergence of an idealism, of tuning into and embracing individualized turmoil, experimentation, and confusion despite, or in spite of, society’s predilections.
The event was organized in 1984 by Toledo poet Nick Muska, and has since grown in appreciation and popularity. Why should you attend? “Because,” as Kerouac told us in The Dharma Bums, “In the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing the lawn. Climb that g-ddamn mountain.”
This uncommon gathering is open to the public, ages 16 years and older, at Ye Olde Durty Bird on St Clair downtown, from 7-9pm on Sunday, October 19. Visit
facebook.com/Toledo-Poetry-Museum for more updates and events.
