July 26, 2009

Jack Kerouac did not text.

I need to get some blogging up, and I actually have about 5 things I've been meaning to write, that is, after the completion of various Sunday morning activities, such as transforming the corn leftover from last night into breakfast and analyzing why I didn't quite replicate my mother's corn fritters. But somehow, I'm reading the comments over on Richard's blog — not even my own blog.

(I did read some of my blog's comments on my iPhone in the middle of the night, and I'd just like to say, Lem, I'm sorry no one was in the buckets of flowers with you last night to say, yes, we're your friends and thanks for telling us that you've found comfort here.)

Anyway, over at Richard's, Penny commented:
I just noticed your new blog header. NICE! I like it a lot. I do have one comment though. Pen authors need to watch out for what I will call "texting creep".
That refers to the quote in Richard's banner:
SCRIBBLED SECRET NOTEBOOKS, AND WILD TYPEWRITTEN PAGES, FOR YR OWN JOY... SUBMISSIVE TO EVERYTHING, OPEN, LISTENING... SOMETHING THAT YOU FEEL WILL FIND ITS OWN FORM. --JACK KEROUAC, FROM "BELIEF AND TECHNIQUE FOR MODERN PROSE"
Kerouac wrote "yr," long before anybody was indulging in rampant abbreviation for texting purposes. I'd read that quote in Richard's banner many times, but this morning was the first time I was moved to Google the quote. I wanted to make sure of what I was already sure of, that the abbreviation was Kerouac's. And the cool thing about that, for which I offer a penny to Penny, is that I found the whole context, "Belief and Technique for Modern Prose," which is written — Richard elides this — as a numbered list. I love lists, especially numbered lists.

(We've been eating salads from that 101 salads list, and, for example, #2 really is — as billed — "[a]stonishing.")

There are only 30 items on Kerouac's list, so it's easier to read than not to read. Nevertheless, I'll copy a few here, with commentary:
3. Try never get drunk outside yr own house
And don't even yell as if u were drunk outside yr house, especially at a cop.
6. Be crazy dumbsaint of the mind
Consider it done! Since 2004.
8. Write what you want bottomless from bottom of the mind
I often write bottomless. Much more than topless. Because I like to write in bed.
13. Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition
K.
15. Telling the true story of the world in interior monolog
Would all the political bloggers please take a day to do exactly this? Then, if you can do it, do it all the time.
18. Work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea...
23. Keep track of every day the date emblazoned in yr morning
24. No fear or shame in the dignity of yr experience, language & knowledge
See? Blog!

And text, if u want 2.

18 comments:

Fred4Pres said...

Lem good luck. We are pulling for you.

The Crack Emcee said...

"Don't even yell as if u were drunk outside yr house, especially at a cop."

Henry Louis Gates, are you listening?

Laura(southernxyl) said...

Am having trouble blogging right now because everything catching my attention is either too depressing (my job) not my business to tell (my daughter's if she chooses) or I have commented on extensively in conversation elsewhere and am tired of talking about.

I will note that a whole lot of people are apparently utterly liberated from any inhibitions regarding syntax or grammar, and it doesn't do much for their ability to communicate any coherent thoughts; which may be an indication that there aren't any coherent thoughts, but it may not be. Please, everyone, do not throw inhibition to the wind.

KCFleming said...

Yr Mother Called Them Farmhouses.

by Robin Holcomb


(scroll down to listen)

Bissage said...

Jack Kerouac did not text and Charlie don’t surf.

We all get off the bus at different stops.

Who’s minding the store?

Deep.

Chip Ahoy said...

Rarely met a corn fritter I didn't like. If yur mudder was like mi mum, she'd have incorporated canned cream corn worked into an ordinary Béchamel leavened a little with baking powder. If she were more like Martha Stewart, she'd use whipped egg whites folded in to leaven a stiff dry base of fresh seasoned corn containing the yolks.

Chip Ahoy said...

After removing the corn kernels, you can use a dinner knife to roughly scrape the cobs to remove and use the remaining corn-milk, wouldn't want to wast a single drop, you know. Depending on the sweetness of the corn, you might want to consider adding a little sugar.

Being maniacal, I like to add chili flakes. Hot paprika would do in a pinch.

rhhardin said...

My only contact with Jack Kerouac is a song on Radio Australia real audio.

Fred4Pres said...

I did not have fresh peaches, but I did #2 with salted sockeye salmon.

You take a filet of salmon (preferably sockeye because it is so red and tastes great, but any decent fresh salmon will do). Put it open face, skin down, on some paper towels on a plate, salt it with kosher salt and leave it in the frige over night. The salt will make it lox like in texture. The next day slice it into thin sections (no skin) and toss it into a tomato salad along with chopped Italian sweet red onions, basil and it would be good with fresh dill and olive oil too.

You can subsitute lox and it will work fine.

Awesome. Ask Barack...I mean Mr. President, he loves the stuff.

Jeff with one 'f' said...

Sonic Youth recorded "Expressway to Yr. Skull" in 1986.

Shawn Levasseur said...

Look lk thrd has gon from aping kerouac to aping cookbooks.

Me, i'm still distracted by Althouse's bottomless blogging statement. Then again you dont wanna know the state of dress I'm in.

Beth said...

Hi Lem - just saying hey, in case you're reading here today. I enjoyed catching up with your late-night interior monologue in the bucket o' flowers thread.

Althouse - number 2 salad is recommended? I have everything in house for that one today so we'll try it with dinner tonight. Peaches and tomatoes - yum. Do you do the peaches fresh, or have you tried a quick grill or toss in a hot pan?

Ann Althouse said...

Fresh peaches.

Have never contemplated grilling peaches. Any recipes?

Beth said...

I grill fruit to take advantage of the nice hot fire that's left after the steaks or fish come off - pineapple's a favorite, but peaches are also wonderful. Before you begin grilling, slice a peach or two in half, and drizzle both sides with a little lemon and a bit more honey. Rest them sliced-side down in the honey and lemon while you cook. If you have fresh rosemary on hand, you can add that to the honey and lemon - put it right under the cut side of the peaches. When you're ready, grill the peaches about 3 minutes on each side, and include the rosemary. It holds together nicely, and adds a nice flavor to the smoke.

Penny said...

I stand corrected!

And here's the really funny thing from my perspective. Believe it or not, I TOO googled before making my comments. I thought it was more likely that Kerouac used "yr", then that it was Richard's shorthand, but I wanted to know. Richard seems too precise, frankly. Anyway, after a quick middle of the night, ten second Google, I must have picked the wrong link to look at because the one I saw quoted Kerouac saying "your".

Mean's no nevermind in the end though. It was fun gently teasing Richard...even about something he didn't do! lol

Ann Althouse said...

@Beth Thanks!

@Penny LOL.

Kerouac fan said...

Yr right Althouse, Kerouac was ahead of his time,not only with text abriviation but also with terms like "cool" which then were only used by a hip street minority, but now are used by everybody (lawyers and doctors, etc.) Can I stick in a plug for two Beat threads: Beat_Happening or Subterraneansgroup via Yahoo! Groups (sorry about that).
Thanks rhhardin for the link to the song that mentions Kerouac.

Rick Dale, author of The Beat Handbook said...

Another Kerouac fan here. Thanks for pointing out that he was texting before texting was cool.

Maybe you'd enjoy my blog: www.thedailybeatblog.blogspot.com