Brianland

A Secret Space of Dreams . . Somewhere in the Universe, Pranksters are gathering. It’s fireworks, calliopes and clowns, And everybody’s dancin’ . . . On fifty acres through country woods, with ponds and trails and fields and split-rail fences and immaculate stables and barns in fresh but classic rusty red . . . Now […]

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Front Row for The Revolution . Photo by Jeremy Hogan . It all started waking up on New York et al election day in Ken Morris’s house in Cleveland the day after we pre-scouted the city for the upcoming Republican Implosion.  I mean, Repugnant Convention.  There were 3 different messages in my in-box about a […]

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. Here’s some video from various “Hitchhiker’s Guide to Jack Kerouac” appearances . . . in the order the pieces appear in the book . . .   Here’s a whole bunch of clips in one YouTube Playlist in the sequence they appear in the book  . . . 🙂  . Here’s a great group […]

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. “It’s Alright.  He’s Kerouac.” . I’m currently sitting in the dark in Kerouac Park writing what just happened . . . I came to Jack’s hometown of Lowell with lots of hopes and anticipation of magic sacred spots and moments.  The top dream I’ve always had was getting inside the Pawtucketville Social Club — […]

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Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Adventure 2015   The first time I came to Lowell in 1983 you couldn’t find any indication Jack ever lived here.  I asked all around and finally found a bartender who said the only guy in town who knew about him was his old Reverend.  The afternoon barkeep even looked up his […]

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. “Life is good.” . . A few years ago I became friends with this cool 70-year-old German woman who lived a few doors down. It was one of those:  recognizing each other from the moment we met — another member of the tribe — kindred travellers – explorers – pranksters – leprechaun twinklers. And […]

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. Shindig Sutra . aahhh — San Francisco — home of everything holy. Home of the Beats, home of The Dead, home of the wild.  The United States of San Francisco.  The city that makes its own rules . . . and that’s that. Of course we’re coming home.  To the Museum that Jerry built. […]

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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Jack Kerouac  . Reviews, feedback, and other buzzes over the transom . . . . Brian Hassett had the presence of mind to pack a good old cassette recorder in his rucksack back in 1982 when he was alerted to the Jack Kerouac Conference being staged in Boulder, Colorado.  The real […]

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  I saw the best minds of many generations, dancing, hysterical, naked … at the Farewell send-off of the Gratest live band in history. While The Grateful Dead were breaking the all-time attendance records for Soldier Field stadium in Chicago — I was seeing them in a small venue from about 5th row center.  I […]

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Getting My Phil at The Crossroads . . It’s the Father’s Day weekend, 2015, and my bassist bud Al Robinson tipped me that PhilZone.com had its countdown clock to the next Phil show indicating Sunday night.  That was the only lead I had. I was out in the Bay Area where, a few years ago, […]

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