Beat Spirit exposes the truth that life doesn't have to feel standardized, patented, predictable, interminable or robotic for today's new Beats. Readers will howl with Ginsberg and take off on the road with Kerouac, as they discover new frontiers of thought and spirit with Beat Spirit. It kick-starts the rebellious, non-conformist and fiercely independent streak that lives within everyone.
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
As Ash (Shaving the Inside of Your Skull, Putnam, 1997) makes clear, this book is not a history of the Beats but a unique, "interactive" self-help book aimed at Generation Xers who find themselves drawn to the philosophical and spiritual principles that inform Beat literature and art. Ash examines works by various authors, including Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William Burroughs; analyzes the values promulgated therein; and then assigns the reader exercises based on those values. Exercises range from "getting naked" to doing genealogical research to writing a suicide note. Ash's aesthetic analysis is generally on target, and the bibliographies he includes are useful. However, a "how to become a Beat" manual seems somewhat paradoxical given the Beat Generation's celebration of originality and spontaneity. The workbook format makes this publication more appropriate for bookstores than libraries.?William Gargan, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., CUNY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Fun Way to Spend A Few Months,
By Book Addict "Eleanor T" (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Beat Spirit (Paperback)
Overachiever that I am, I intended to finish all of the exercises in one week and declare myself the greatest beatnik of all time. Too bad, too sad. Greatness cannot be achieved in one week when it comes to this workbook, but a lot of mischief can definitely be accomplished. Every time I sense myself getting caught back up in the normalcy of my life, this book is a great answer to boredom. Open up, and there you have it - an assignment to write a slogan, get naked, revolt, or be in love with yr life. Not a cover to cover read by any means, but an experience for those willing to let their hair down, pull out a black turtleneck, and live a little beat for themselves.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A pleasant surprise,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Beat Spirit (Paperback)
I was a little skeptical, but there I was in my Beat period, snarfing up all the info I could get, and this book seemed like a good bet. Got it, started to read, and more to the point, tried some of the exercises. Within a week I found myself writing more freely, saying more things I'd been wanting to say. I don't necessarily think this book is going to make your life better, or even your writing, but if you take the exercises (some of them; some just seem sort of silly) to heart and really give them a chance, you just might find your mind opening up to what the beat spirit was all about.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Helps readers to embrace the living philosophy of the Beats,
By A Customer
This review is from: Beat Spirit (Paperback)
Mel Ash offers readers a way to participate and not just be passive as they stare at words about LIFE. A huge variety of activities are in this book; some are a little weird. The author is very knowledgable, enthusiastic, and takes a completely different approach. A fun, worthwhile book for beat afficionados and free spirits alike.
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