On any given afternoon in North Beach, Jerry Cimino is holding forth at the personal tourist attraction which he lovingly maintains. Mr. Cimino has a mission: to keep the Beat spirit alive in North Beach and pass it on to new generations. They come from everywhere: smalltown America, Paris, London, Rome, Moscow, Amsterdam, Tokyo, even Beijing, with visions of Kerouac’s Road and melodies of Ginsberg’s Howl dancing in their eyes and ears. They come seeking the San Francisco of their dreams and Mr. Cimino, curator of the Beat Museum, is ready to oblige.
On the wall is an earnest explanation of the origin of the term “beatnik” (it was coined, of course, by Herb Caen—what did you think?). There are multiple signed editions of Howl. The casual correspondences of beat celebrities appear framed behind glass. On a table rests an ancient Underwood typewriter—not owned by any known beat hero but “just like the one Jack used." In the center of the floor is a comfortable setting of shabby 50s furniture, “just like the sort Jack would have sat on." Really. In a glass case is a mannequin draped in one of Jack’s jackets—sweat stains and all. Huzzah!
On a recent visit, we took in the On The Road exhibit. This consists of well over 100 editions of Kerouac’s masterpiece in multiple languages. Mr. Cimino informs us that some visitors have brought editions previously unknown. One man donated a copy from Bulgaria. We learned that in Holland, there have been two editions. The first was titled Opweg but it was renamed to Underweg. Apparently, the first means “Standing on the Road” whereas the second means “Traveling the Road”—obviously, the superior translation. The effect of all this obsessive trivia can seem a bit bizarre and unnerving and yet it is also quite moving, and effectively brings home Kerouac's wide and potent influence. When I expressed my ambivalence, my friend remarked, “Maybe its just the idea of a beat museum in the first place that is insane.” But it's not insane; it's actually kind of interesting and inspiring.
One set of shelves holds 54 editions from all around the world: China, Japan, Paris, Yugoslovia, Bulgaria, Holland … the list goes on. I examined the blurbs. In one early edition, the book is described as “wild and unrestrained." By 1977, it is “one of the most powerful and important works of our time: the book that turned on a generation.” The jacket illustrations range from soft core porn to high literary prestige and clearly evolve as the years go by. Most of the illustrations include a car. My favorite (perhaps because I owned and treasured it as a teenager) is the 1977 Signet edition which features a sun setting in a field of orange.
For the many of us who have found so much of our own stories in Kerouac’s beatific celebration, a visit to the Beat Museum is a fine way to spend an afternoon. The museum will house this On the Road collection, owned by Horst Spandler, through the end of the year. Then it will move on to Paris, so catch it while you can! Also, have you heard?* — Charles Kruger
all pictures by Evan Karp
* speaking of great Kerouac films
Good examples of don't miss:
The Small Press Underground Book Fair
M.G. Martin's Book Release Party
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Comments
check out plays re: kerouac by playwright larry myers
he s got the beat
directs authorized jack k lit group in nyc
his dramas headline this year s howl fest
Awesome article- I love Jack Kerouac!
Am afraid your Dutch is not quite correct there. Op weg [sic] and Onderweg [sic] mean both travelling; there is a slight difference in nuance, but both translations are correct (I would also prefer the second, because it would be more appropriate for describing travelling as an autonomous activity). Standing on the road would be standing 'op de weg'.
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