Brianland

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Just as when Gifford & Lee created Jack’s Book in the ’70s, and Allen Ginsberg did the Jack Summit in 1982 and all those documentaries were made — it was all because there were people alive who knew Jack well.

Now there are very few.

Here’s a list of Living People who either met Jack Kerouac or knew him well . . .

(to be added to and modified as we go)

David Amram – composer & jazz bandleader

Cliff Anderson – author and Jack’s friend in St. Petersburg

Nikita Angelakos – Lowell resident

GJ Apostolakos – Lowell resident

Ken Babbs – original Bus-riding Merry Prankster – Intrepid Traveler – author

Tommy Belkakis – Lowell resident

Ron Bevirt – original Bus-riding Prankster photographer

Paul Blake Jr. – son of Jack’s sister Nin

Helen Bone – knew Jack in Rocky Mount, NC

Gary Boyle – Lowell resident

Bonnie Bremser – author and wife of Ray Bremser

Nancy Bump – Lowell resident

Cappy’s Copper Kettle owner – bar owner in Lowell

Caleb Carr – son of Lucien Carr

Ethan Carr – son of Lucien Carr

Francesca “Cessa” Von Hartz Carr – wife of Lucien Carr

Simon Carr – son of Lucien Carr

Cathy Cassady – daughter of Neal & Carolyn Cassady

Jami Cassady – daughter of Neal & Carolyn Cassady

John Allen Cassady – son of Neal & Carolyn Cassady

Phil Chaput – Lowell resident

Ann Charters – biographer

Anthony Countey – Northport neighbor, band manager, event producer

Billy Drenas – Lowell resident

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott – songwriter / performer / storyteller / raconteur

Al Ellis (still alive?) – friend of Jack McClintock’s who visited Jack in St. Pete

Elliott Erwitt – photographer

Gretchen Fetchin – original Bus-riding Prankster

Brian Foye – author and Jack’s paperboy

Mary Frank – artist & Robert’s wife (1950-1969)

Eric Gibson – son of Gerd Stern & Jacky Gibson

Dana Godne – Bixby Canyon resident, owner of Alf the mule

Herb Gold – author

Nick Goumas – Lowell resident

Mike Hagen – original Bus-riding Prankster

Richard Hill (still alive?) – friend of Jack McClintock’s who visited Jack in St. Pete

Raymond Hinst – owner of Haslam Book store

Richard Howard – poet, mentioned in Desolation Angels

Joyce Johnson – author

Paul Kapetanopoulos – Lowell resident

Terry Kerouac Dewer – Jack’s cousin

Chuck Kesey – creamery founder & Ken’s brother

Dale Kesey – Ken’s cousin

Billy Koumantzelis‘s kids?

George Nicholas Koumantzelis – Lowell musician & record company owner

Sarah Langley – knew Jack in Rocky Mount, NC

Maria Livornese – a girlfriend of Jack’s in the ’40s

Peter Lownds – actor

Judy Machado – Mary Carney’s (Maggie Cassady’s) daughter

Jack McClintock – St. Petersburg Times reporter who interviewed Jack in Oct. 1969

Joanna McClure – poet and wife of Michael McClure

Locke McCorkle – Marin raconteur

Sita McCorkle (now Formosa) – Locke’s daughter (mentioned in Dharma Bums & Desolation Angels)

Tasha Mkee McCorkle – Locke’s other daughter

Rita McGrath – Lowell resident

Duncan McNaughton (still alive? He was as of Feb. 2017) – was at Jack’s Paris Review interview

Anne Murphy – Neal’s girlfriend, met Jack in Northport in ’63

Dale Nichols – Flamingo Bar owner in St. Pete, Florida

Lafcadio Orlovsky – Peter’s younger brother

Charlie Panagiotakos – Lowell resident

Charley Plymell – poet

Pam Plymell – publisher & designer

Betty Sampas – Jack’s sister-in-law

Jim Sampas – Jack’s nephew

Tony Sampas – Jack’s nephew

Ed Sanders – author and bandleader of  The Fugs

Alan Sansotta – a pool playing Pal of Jack’s in Florida

Aram Saroyan – author

Jenny Scott – Chloe Scott’s daughter

Richard Scott – Lowell resident

Gary Snyder – poet

Lois Sorrells – a girlfriend of Jack’s in late ’50s / early ’60s

Gerd Stern – poet and multi-media artist

Veryl Switzer – pro football player, gave Jack a ride in Kansas in 1952

Jamie Thompson (aka Abba Elethea) – Detroit & New York friend

Mark Vonnegut – Kurt’s son

George Walker – original Bus-riding Prankster & author

Wavy Gravy – Beat poet and Prankster clown supreme

(75)

Last updated — August 20th, 2024

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Corrections or additions welcomed in the comments —

or email — karmacoupon@gmail.com

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Here’s a rockin riff on the world’s usage of “beatnik” in the 21st century.

For a fun book on a bunch of the living Beats & Pranksters (circa 1982) check out — The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Jack Kerouac.

For some Adventure Tales connecting the Beats & Pranksters check out — How The Beats Begat The Pranksters.

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Or here’s another interesting list folks seem to like — Famous People Who Didn’t Have Kids.

Or this is another cool one — “Great Americans” Not Born In America.

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by Brian Hassett  —  karmacoupon@gmail.com   —  BrianHassett.com

Or here’s my Facebook account if you wanna follow things there —

https://www.facebook.com/Brian.Hassett.Canada