[cite]Posted By: hawksmoor[/cite]cafc-west, I seem to remember reading that Alan Watts was born in Bromley! Your dinner party would certainly be interesting if Crowley summoned up Satan himself!
Actually born in Chistlehurst I think before going onto California. The Crowley satan stuff is "Daily Mail" reader fodder. He didn't actually dabble in black magic as such - although he pushed everything and anything to the limit!! I think Crowley was a bit 'misunderstood'.
And when Watts was in California, he came into the orbit of one of my dinner party guests, and fellow Zen scholar, Jean-Louis Lebris de Kerouac. Watts turns up as 'Arthur Whane' in Kerouac's The Dharma Bums.
Am a massive Kerouac fan myself. Read On the Road many times and Dharma Bums, Satori in Paris, The subterraneans etc..have a kind of affinity with the whole beat thing. Didn't realise Watts 'appeared' in there - will have to look up in my Ann Charters biography where she cross references the real people to the characters.
Don't get me started, mate. I'm a Kerouac obsessive. Named my youngest son Jack after the great man. I've got two, three or more editions of all his books (got about seven of The Dharma Bums). When I had more money I was buying first editions all over the shop. I've got a UK true first of On The Road with the cover by Len Deighton (!), a UK first (I think it's a third imprint, though) of The Town And The City with the 'John Kerouac' byline. Paperback firsts of Tristessa, The Subterraneans (the uncensored edition with the effin' and jeffin' in it), etc, etc. You mentioned Satori in Paris. I always found it hilarious that he went all the way to France to trace his ancestors, but ended up just getting drunk instead, then went home!
I went to a talk about The Beats many moons ago and had Ann Charters sign that very book. Oh, wait, you've got me started...
Wow - you did get started! You are more of an obsessive than me - I was really into it in the late 70's and went into the City Lights bookshop in San Francisco in 1982 and bought a City lights book...just to have been there! - But having some of the early editions must be amazing. Saw the pictures of the On the Road scroll that Kerouac originally typed the book on - but missed going to see it when it was on display in London. I think Kerouac spent much of his time either up on amphetamines (but not as much as Neal Cassady) or drinking heavily! The whole Dharma Bums experience seems to be one of drinking Tokay port and going to parties. There is a quote, I think that Kerouac said, or maybe Ginsberg, that buddhism was all about getting to know as many people as possible! Intersting times that set the whole seed for the 70's....
At the moment Chrissy Powell, Jiminez, Slater, Vetere, Murray and Peacock would be good - would be good to really undersatnd what the plan is for the summer and beyond.
cafc-west, I have a recording of a drunk Kerouac on a radio show in his native Lowell, discussing Visions of Gerard. The only thing is the host bids him a good morning as the show starts!
Did you know you can buy the 'scroll edition' of On The Road in paperback. It's different enough from the novel we know and love to make it worth buying it. And of course all the real names (Neal Cassady, Carolyn Cassady, Lucian Carr, Burroughs, etc) are in there.
I didn't realise it had been released as a book (the irony of it is that I'm currently working on a contract at Pearson, the publishing group that own Penguin books - who've published it - I just found out!) - and I'm going to get it! Its been quite a while since I last read it - so this is a good excuse. I've also got a CD of Kerouac reading from On the Road - but he's completelety sober and its great to hear his voice reading the words - worth getting. CD link.
Stephen Fry
Victoria Coren
Eric Morecambe
Bill Hicks
My Dad
(Died when I was 15, not for any mushy sentimental reason, would just be nice to have a conversation with him as an adult)
Just two guests for me: Danny Baker and astronaut Piers Sellers. I just heard their interview on 5live and it was one of the most fascinating bits of radio I've ever heard. Sellers was absolutely scintillating whilst Baker was brilliant simply because he is so inquisitive. Some interesting facts: - Space suits cost £30million each. - Because of their cost there are only 10 of them, they are passed on second-hand to each new astronaut. - International trade takes place on the space station the Americans swap coffee with the Russians in return for tinned lamb hotpot. - Sellers has seen the River Thames from space, but not The Great Wall of China. - Each astronaut is allowed to take approximately 1lb of personal effects on a space flight. On one of his missions, Sellers took a photograph of Sir Isaac Newton and an piece of wood drilled from Newton's famous apple tree. He then took a photograph of the picture of Newton staring at the zero-gravity wood. - On re-entry to Earth, everything looks red. - The only time Sellers was lost for words was when Baker asked him if he'd ever broken anything on a space shuttle. I think we can surmise that he has.
Richard Feinman - Fascinating conversation Stephen Fry - As above Derren Brown - Great entertainment Jerry Seinfeld - For the jokes Danny Baker - Good call Stig, he'd get them all talking
I'd pretty much be sitting in embarrassed silence though. Not sure I could offer anything to that conversation.
Just two guests for me: Danny Baker and astronaut Piers Sellers. I just heard their interview on 5live and it was one of the most fascinating bits of radio I've ever heard. Sellers was absolutely scintillating whilst Baker was brilliant simply because he is so inquisitive. Some interesting facts: - Space suits cost £30million each. - Because of their cost there are only 10 of them, they are passed on second-hand to each new astronaut. - International trade takes place on the space station the Americans swap coffee with the Russians in return for tinned lamb hotpot. - Sellers has seen the River Thames from space, but not The Great Wall of China. - Each astronaut is allowed to take approximately 1lb of personal effects on a space flight. On one of his missions, Sellers took a photograph of Sir Isaac Newton and an piece of wood drilled from Newton's famous apple tree. He then took a photograph of the picture of Newton staring at the zero-gravity wood. - On re-entry to Earth, everything looks red. - The only time Sellers was lost for words was when Baker asked him if he'd ever broken anything on a space shuttle. I think we can surmise that he has.
Yeah I heard all that on the wireless this morning it really was excellent throughout. Piers was so fascinating and Danny and his friend kept things moving along perfectly. Wonderful stuff worth checking out on any catch up service going.
Comments
Actually born in Chistlehurst I think before going onto California. The Crowley satan stuff is "Daily Mail" reader fodder. He didn't actually dabble in black magic as such - although he pushed everything and anything to the limit!! I think Crowley was a bit 'misunderstood'.
And when Watts was in California, he came into the orbit of one of my dinner party guests, and fellow Zen scholar, Jean-Louis Lebris de Kerouac. Watts turns up as 'Arthur Whane' in Kerouac's The Dharma Bums.
I went to a talk about The Beats many moons ago and had Ann Charters sign that very book. Oh, wait, you've got me started...
Did you know you can buy the 'scroll edition' of On The Road in paperback. It's different enough from the novel we know and love to make it worth buying it. And of course all the real names (Neal Cassady, Carolyn Cassady, Lucian Carr, Burroughs, etc) are in there.
Tony Blair
Mary Whitehouse
Jordan
John mccririck
Carnage
Victoria Coren
Eric Morecambe
Bill Hicks
My Dad
(Died when I was 15, not for any mushy sentimental reason, would just be nice to have a conversation with him as an adult)
- Space suits cost £30million each.
- Because of their cost there are only 10 of them, they are passed on second-hand to each new astronaut.
- International trade takes place on the space station the Americans swap coffee with the Russians in return for tinned lamb hotpot.
- Sellers has seen the River Thames from space, but not The Great Wall of China.
- Each astronaut is allowed to take approximately 1lb of personal effects on a space flight. On one of his missions, Sellers took a photograph of Sir Isaac Newton and an piece of wood drilled from Newton's famous apple tree. He then took a photograph of the picture of Newton staring at the zero-gravity wood.
- On re-entry to Earth, everything looks red.
- The only time Sellers was lost for words was when Baker asked him if he'd ever broken anything on a space shuttle. I think we can surmise that he has.
Ken Livingstone
Rachel Khoo
Boris Johnson
Jose Mourhinho
Clive Anderson
Angela Merkel
Philip Roth
Nigella Lawson (to cook and chat)
Maggie Thatcher
Rodney Marsh
Lucy Pinder
Johnny Robinson
Stephen Fry - As above
Derren Brown - Great entertainment
Jerry Seinfeld - For the jokes
Danny Baker - Good call Stig, he'd get them all talking
I'd pretty much be sitting in embarrassed silence though. Not sure I could offer anything to that conversation.
Maggie Thatcher
Tony Blair
Gordon Brown
Robin Day
I will withdraw to the drawing room and watch CAFC in the European Cup Final.
SCP
Derek Hales
Kelly Brook
My late Dad
Eric King
Stacey Herbert
Jim Sinclair
Lang Lang
Pet clarke
John wayne
Mohammad Ali
Dean martin
and would love to have another Pint or two with my Late Dad.....he was never one for dinner parties
Chris Powell
Stephen Fry
Brian Blessed
Morgan Freeman
Richard Branson
Terry Hall
Roger De Courcey
Ray Allen
Saveen
I'll be the only one to have: Brown Bread and Butter and A Bottle Of Beer!