Empty Phantoms: Interviews and Encounters with Jack Kerouac [Paperback]

Paul Maher Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2005

Empty Phantoms: Collected Interviews with Jack Kerouac gathers together, for the first time in one volume, all known printed, recorded, and filmed interviews—including those celebrated, infamous, or obscure—with the acclaimed American writer and father of the Beats, Jack Kerouac.

In many instances, the interviews are transcribed from original tapes and are either unabridged, like the famous "Paris Review" interview in which the journal was excised for space constraints, or unexpurgated, such as in the infamous Northport Library interview, which had been edited to avoid issues of libel and charges of anti-Semitism. Editor Paul Maher, one of the leading young lions of Kerouac scholarship, has scoured newspapers to glean interviews unseen for decades.

Although many top-notch journalists, from Mike Wallace to William F. Buckley, conducted the interviews, it is Kerouac who dominates the proceedings, with his energy, wit, passion, anger, astute insights, playfulness, literary integrity, and searching spirituality. Best of all, the interviews are replete with Kerouacisms like "walking on water wasn't built in a day, wisdom is heartless," and "pity dogs and forgive men," which have been a cherished aspect of Kerouac's literature.

Beyond his own works, this living portrait of Kerouac isn't available anywhere else.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul Maher, Jr., is one of the young lions of Kerouac scholarship; what's more, many of Kerouac’s family, friends, and contemporaries (including John Sampas and David Amram) endorse Maher. Maher served as editor of The Kerouac Quarterly, to which he contributed, and wrote "The Seeds of Galloway: Jack Kerouac’s Lowell" (Eastern National, 1999), published for America’s National Parks system. He also teaches a course on Kerouac at Middlesex Community College.

Maher’s "Kerouac: The Definitive Biography" (Taylor Trade Publishing, June 2004), based entirely on primary sources, is the most thoroughly researched and comprehensive life of Kerouac to date. It's been selected by both "Biography" magazine and "Vanity Fair" for their "Hot Lists." It's also received endorsements from Kerouac's literary executor John Sampas, composer David Amram (author of "Offbeat: Collaborating with Kerouac"), and historian Douglas Brinkley (author of "Rosa Parks;" "The Unfinished Presidency: Jimmy Carter’s Journey beyond the White House;" and "American Heritage's History of the United States"). UPDATE: In April '05, "Kerouac" was named a finalist for the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award in the category of biography.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Press (September 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560256583
• ISBN-13: 978-1560256588
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,210,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Collection, August 24, 2006

By 

G. E. Mantel "RCM-Maki" (Mesabi Iron Range) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Empty Phantoms: Interviews and Encounters with Jack Kerouac (Paperback)

I haven't read Maher's bio of Kerouac (and may pass on it in lieu of Brinkley's anticipated work) but this book is indeed a nicely-assembled collection of articles on & interviews of Jack Kerouac spanning his entire "public" life.

Nice to have all of this rarely-seen stuff under one cover.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Last look at Kerouac., June 7, 2008

By 

Bobby K. Daugherty "Jack of the Trade Winds" (The Seven Seas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Empty Phantoms: Interviews and Encounters with Jack Kerouac (Paperback)

There are those who feel that Kerouac was underrated and those who feel he is overrated. Perhaps we are looking into his work for the wrong reasons. I will always revere Jack as my favorite writer, because aside from whatever personal problems may be attributed to him. He reminds me of what a true writer is capable of, he reminds me that life is never mediocre or mundane it always holds promise. There are several glimpses into the man laid out in this book, but for me the real essence of his legacy is put forth by John Clellon Holmes in the end of the book as he describes Jack's funeral.

I feel that to dismiss Kerouac as the writer that was only a stage in our youth is to disregard a part of our youth that had awakened to independence, and to dismiss him as a mere "typewriter" as Capote did is to acknowledge a mere lack of imagination as well as appreciation for such a gifted writer. Kerouac was a writer in the truest sense as he experimented with various styles and never had to write about sensationalism or something as vulgar as murder ( i.e. "In Cold Blood" by Capote) to capture his audience. Kerouac made the open road as well as America beautiful and exciting and kept it honest. To dismiss him is to expose a severe flaw in one's personality.

This book is an interesting glimpse at Jack, but much like Lenny Bruce he poured his heart and soul into his work and had little left over when he was through.