BEAT SCENE

Issue number 58 of Beat Scene is out now for aficionados of the Beat Generation and their offspring.

Jack Kerouac features heavily, as does Gary Snyder, Lew Welch and Hunter S. Thompson. There’s a look at Joan Vollmer’s life before it ended with a bullet in the brain from hubby William Burroughs. It doesn’t though mention one of my favourite stories concerning the pair. According of Bill – and newspaper reports seem to back up his claim - he and Joan were drunk and decided to pull their car over to the side of the road, got out, and started fucking whilst son Billy sat on the back seat. Of all the mental images of Burroughs’ behaviour, a randy young man doing it with a woman isn’t one that immediately springs to mind.

The magazine may not be the most beautiful girl at the fair, and is overdue a makeover, but what she lacks in looks she makes up in heart and passion. It’s a labour of love by Kevin Ring who earns extra kudos for doggedly resisting the pressure to publish any articles on-line. If you want to read them, you’ll have to buy the printed version. With decent articles and a comprehensive round-up of new books and reprints, I suggest you do.

For subscription details and beat news: www.beatscene.net