Capturing the Beat Moment: Cultural Politics and the Poetics of Presence

Title Page, Copyright, Dedication

Cultural Politics and the Poetics of Presence Erik Mortenson Southern Illinois University Press Carbondale and Edwardsville CAPTURINGTHE Beat MOMENT Mortenson Frontmatter.indd 3 9/9/10 2:34 PM Copyright © 2011 by the Board of Trustees, Southern Illinois University All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 14 13 12 11 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mortenson, Erik, 1970– Capturing the beat moment : cultural politics and the poetics of presence / Erik Mortenson. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8093-3013-3 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8093-3013-X (alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-8093-8613-0 (ebook) ISBN-10: 0-8093-8613-5 (ebook) 1. Beat generation. 2. American literature—20th century—History and criticism. I. Title. PS228.B6M66 2010 810.9'0054—dc22 2010010658 Printed on recycled paper. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48-1992. Mortenson Frontmatter.indd 4 9/9/10 2:34 PM To my parents, and to Lia Mortenson Frontmatter.indd 5 9/9/10 2:34 PM Mortenson Frontmatter.indd 6 9/9/10 2:34 PM When work is done as sacred work, unselfishly, with a peaceful mind, without lust or hate, with no desire for reward, then the work is pure. —The Bhagavad Gita Mortenson Frontmatter.indd 7 9/9/10 2:34 PM Mortenson Frontmatter.indd 8 9/9/10 2:34 PM ...