The Merrimack River
The Merrimack River, as seen from the downtown side of Lowell and Bridge Street. It did capture Kerouac’s imagination (as it did with Henry David Thoreau before, who wrote his short story ‘A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers in 1949) throughout his life and especially as a kid. But it was also responsible … Continue reading
Wazee and Wynkoop Streets
Kerouac wrote about the area in which these photos were taken and its characters he saw there, such as the ‘the beggar without legs who clattered tragically on his rollerboard on Wazee Street…’. The Wazee Supper Club boasts in this first photos naturally boasts with Kerouac’s name on its website (www.wazeesupperclub.com) too. Wynkoop Street ‘… … Continue reading
Sometimes Way out of town, say miles out on East Colfax, Cody, waiting for a bus, or a ride …
The above quote is taken from page 109 of ‘Visions Of Cody’ (Flamingo Modern Classic Edition), but East Colfax Avenue is mentioned quite a few times throughout the book. I had a little walk on East Colfax Avenue and found it not especially nice, but I can see the appeal to Kerouac with its myriad … Continue reading
Pretty Mink Secretaries of 17th Street
‘… outside his windows, which are gleaming red in the mad Denver afternoon, young assistants of state senators and pretty mink secretaries of 17th Street are rushing by…’ (Visions Of Cody, p. 113 Flamingo Modern Classic edition). The area around Larimer Street probably looked much different in Kerouac’s days, I didn’t see any of the … Continue reading
Colorado State Capitol
Kerouac mentions the State Capitol in both ‘Windblown World’ (‘Last night I saw bats flapping about the Golden Dome of the State Capitol’) and ‘Visions Of Cody’, where he calls it ‘… the big dumb Capitol building’ (I suppose he doesn’t take that literally, as he calls the undoubtedly beloved downtown streets of Denver ‘dumb’ … Continue reading
Market Street, Denver
The following shots were all taken on Market Street in Denver, and to me, show traces of a past for that particular street that captured Kerouac’s imagination and fantasy, mainly with regards to his hero Neal Cassady and Cassady’s dad. I chose the building in the first photograph for its well-worn looks and crumbling walls. … Continue reading
Larimer St. Market, Denver
There is no direct reference to this building or a shop called Larimer St. Market I know of in any of Kerouac’s books, but knowing him and his writings it’s all too easy to picture him, Neal Cassady or ‘Old Dean Moriarty’ (aka Neal Cassady’s father) getting their cigarettes and other supplies in here…
J.J. Green Company
Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady are talking about the ‘J.J. Green Company’ at 1923 Market Street, Denver in one of the long conversations that Kerouac recorded on tape and that are featured in ‘Visions Of Cody’ (p.209 Flamingo Modern Classic edition). The building set back from the street on the left of the first photograph … Continue reading
What’s all this brownness of light in the railroad station …
… damn damn damn. That’s Denver I always told Pa I wanted – … (Visions Of Cody p111-112 Flamingo Modern Classic Edition) Benches inside Denver Union Station Denver Union Station interior Note the date on the bottom of the right menu ‘Wednesday, November 2, 1949’ (the year Kerouac lived in Denver for a few months) … Continue reading
Jack’s Hope
“All I hope, Neal, is someday we’ll be able to live on the same street with our families and get to be a couple of oldtimers together” (Quote from On The Road (The Original Scroll version)) I read this earlier today and found it very sad, as neither of both men did get to live … Continue reading
Retracing Jack Kerouac 