Monday, March 29, 2010

Hello all:

Whew! What a fantastic conference! Once again we want to thank you for all of the energetic, erudite and ______(what's another e-word? ah, you fill it in yourself, I'm beat) discussions this past weekend!

A couple of things: as I stated in the beginning of the conference, we wanted this weekend to only be the beginning of hopefully many more conversations. One will be the collection that we would like to put together. More details will follow but just remember, we are looking for complete essays by September 1st, 2010. Please e-mail me at jlennon@stfranciscollege.edu for any questions and details. But hopefully other collaborations will continue and please keep us updated on your work!

We would like to have some feedback on the conference from you. Please take a few minutes just to write up your thoughts on the conference and place them below. If you liked the tour, please let us know what specifically you like about it. If you wished the panels were over two days, let us know. Also, if you have any ideas for improvement (we would like to do other conferences (rock music? the 60s? pop art?) in the coming years) we would like to hear any thoughts of making the conference a more pleasurable and productive space and time.

Take care!
John

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Hey all:

A few more days until the conference--looking forward to meeting all of you. Here is a schedule of events:

Saturday, March 27th

8:00am - 8:45am
Registration, Breakfast and Introductions
Callahan Center, 1st Floor

9:00am - 10:30am

PANEL ONE: SEXUAL IDENTITY
Nicholas A. Fiorenza Fine Arts Classroom, Room 7213
Dr. Kristy Biolsi, Department of Psychology, Moderator

Robert Genter, Nassau Community College - “The One and Only Holy and Important Thing: Jack Kerouac’s Straightening of Walt Whitman’s Queer Poetics”

Sara Villa, Columbia University - “Jack Kerouac on Walt Whitman – A Prophet of the Sexual Revolution”

Jessica Pfeffer, New York University - “Whose Love Poem: The Blurring of Sexual Boundaries in Whitman and Ginsberg”

PANEL TWO: TIME AND SPACE
Maroney Forum for Arts, Culture and Education, Room 7402
Br. Edward Wesley, OSF, Ph.D., Department of English, Moderator

Melissa Nurczynski, Kutztown University - “The Intersections of Art and Reportage, Memory and Memoir: Whitman, Ginsburg and Kerouac’s Influence on the Development of Creative Nonfiction as a Genre”

Greg Dandeles, United States Air Force Academy - “Time, Space, Self, and Walt Whitman in Allen Ginsbergs “America””

Jasmine Kitses, University of California, Davis - “’Distance avails not’: Ellipses of Time and Space in Whitman and Ginsberg”

10:45am - 12:15pm

PANEL THREE: INFLUENCE AND POETIC RECEPTION
Nicholas A. Fiorenza Fine Arts Classroom, Room 7213
Dr. Timothy Dugan, Department of Communication Arts, Moderator

Horace D. Ballard, Jr., Yale University - “Birdsong/Battle Cry: Whitman’s Influence on Bob Kaufman”
Noam Flinker, University of Haifa - “Intertextual Connections: George Herbert, Walt Whitman and Jack Kerouac”

Nancy J. Fox, Stephen F. Austin State University - “Jack Kerouac’s Reply to Walt Whitman”

William Lawlor, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point - “Not Moderns, Not Postmoderns, but Whitman! Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s View of Literary Forces that Shaped the Beats and Ferlinghetti”

PANEL FOUR: TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA AND ART
Nicholas A. Fiorenza Fine Arts Classroom, Room 7213
Prof. David Gewirtz, Department of Communication Arts, Moderator

Fiona Anderson, Kings College London - “A trail of drift and debris’: Traces of Whitman in the correspondence art of Ray Johnson”

Anthony C. Bleach, Kutztown University - “Go Forth and Multiply: Walt Whitman and Transmedia Storytelling”

Václav Paris, University of Pennsylvania - “Mapping these States: Whitman, Snyder, and the Technologies of Epic Poesis”

12:30pm •Lunch
Cafeteria, 1st Floor

1:00pm
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Cafeteria, 1st Floor

Ann Charters, University of Connecticut - “’A Mountain Too Vast To Be Seen’: Walt Whitman and The Beats.”

2:15pm - 3:45pm

PANEL FIVE: EMBATTLED BODIES
Nicholas A. Fiorenza Fine Arts Classroom, Room 7213
Dr. Nickie Phillips, Department of Sociology, Moderator

Sharon Becker, University of Redlands - “’Something, Someone, Some Spirit’: Haunted Masculinity and Kerouac’s Debt to Whitman in On the Road”

Deborah R. Geis, DePauw University - “The Hungry Yawp: Eating and Orality in Whitman and Ginsberg”

Karl Parker, Hobart and William Smith Colleges - “Singing/Howling The Per/verse & The Obscene: Bodily Poetics in the work of Whitman & Ginsberg”

PANEL SIX: THE ROAD
Maroney Forum for Arts, Culture and Education, Room 7402
Dr. Jennifer Wingate, Department of Fine Arts, Moderator

Thomas Bierowski, Alvernia College - “Devolution of the American Road”

Robert Mundy, St. John’s University - “Along the Endless Road, Moving Fast and Still”

Patrick Racenberg, State University of New York at Buffalo - “Kerouac and Nationalism: The Search for Walt Whitman's America in On the Road”

4:00pm - 5:30pm

PANEL SEVEN: POETICS, FORM AND STYLE
Nicholas A. Fiorenza Fine Arts Classroom, Room 7213
Dr. Wendy Galgan, Department of English, Moderator

William Nesbit, Beacon College - “Good Things Come in Small Packages: The Use of the Short Poem by Whitman and the Beats”

Walter Raubicheck, Pace University - “Gregory Corso’s ‘Song of Himself’”

Regina Weinreich, School of Visual Arts - “Kerouac’s Haiku Poetics”


PANEL EIGHT: POWER AND POLITICS
Maroney Forum for Arts, Culture and Education, Room 7402
Dr. Gerald Galgan, Department of Philosophy, Moderator

Stephen B. Hodin, Boston University - “Humanizing War: Walt Whitman’s Civil War Writings, Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H, and the American Anti-War Movement”

Eric Keenaghan, State University of New York at Albany - “Ambassadors of Power: Whitmanic Anarchism, Eroticism, and the Beats’ Opposition to the Cold War State”

Matthew Koch, Texas Christian University - “Allen Ginsberg’s Postmodern Transcendentalism in ‘A Supermarket in California’”

Andrew Vogel, Kutztown University - “The Dream and the Dystopa: Bathetic Humor as the Beat Legacy of Whitman's Idealism”

6:00pm • Concert
Founders Hall, 1st Floor

The New York based chamber music ensemble, New Music New York, will perform portions of their upcoming concert “Poets and Prophets: Walt Whitman and His Children.”

7:00pm • Cocktail Reception
Callahan Center, 1st Floor

Sunday, March 28th

12:00pm
Whitman’s Brooklyn
Two hour walking tour of Whitman’s Brooklyn.
Meet in the lobby of St. Francis College.
The tour will end at the High Street station where participants will have the opportunity to take the “A” or “C” train to West 4th Street to head to the Beat Generation Walking Tour.

2:30pm
The Beats in Greenwich Village
One hour walking tour of the bars, coffee shops, homes and inspirations for many of the beat writers.
Meet outside Minetta’s Tavern. Minetta’s Tavern is located at 113 Macdougal Street, between Bleecker and West 3rd Street.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Hey all:

For those of you who are able to stay around NYC to go on the Beat Generation walking tour--and I hope that there are a few!), I wanted to post the outline of where we will be walking here.

Remember, we will be meeting outside Minetta's Tavern at 2;30 PM on Sunday. Any questions, feel free to email me!

Many thanks to John Joseph who designed the google map!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Hey all:

Here's a scehdule of events--more to follow!

SATURDAY, MARCH 27
8am-9am: Registration, coffee and bagels, meet and greet. (Again, we are hping for a conference in which we get to meet people who share our own interests. So please try to come as early as you can! We will have introductions around 8:45). We also limited particpants so that we will only have two panels running concurrently so that there are more opportunities to hear each other read and talk.

PLEASE NOTE: Please make sure your talks are no longer than 20 minutes! Our chairs will remind each particpant as they are reading to keep in this time frame so that everyone has a chance to read and also dicuss their papers in their groups.


9:00-10:30

PANEL ONE: SEXUAL IDENTITY
Nicholas A. Fiorenza Fine Arts Classroom (7213)

Robert Genter: “The One and Only Holy and Important Thing”: Jack Kerouac’s Straightening of Walt Whitman’s Queer Poetics
Sara Villa: Jack Kerouac on Walt Whitman – “A Prophet of the Sexual Revolution”
Jessica Pfeffer: Whose Love Poem?: The Blurring of Sexual Boundaries in Whitman and Ginsberg
PANEL TWO: TIME AND SPACE
Maroney Forum for Arts, Culture and Education (Room 7402)

Melissa Nurczynski: The Intersections of Art and Reportage, Memory and Memoir: Whitman, Ginsburg and Kerouac’s Influence on the Development of Creative Nonfiction as a Genre
Greg Dandeles: Time, Space, Self, and Walt Whitman in Allen Ginsberg’s “America”
Jasmine Kitses: “Distance avails not”: ellipses of time and space in Whitman and Ginsberg
10:45- 12:15
PANEL THREE: INFLUENCE AND POETIC RECEPTION

Horace D. Ballard, Jr.: Birdsong/Battle Cry: Whitman’s Influence on Bob Kaufman
Noam Flinker: Intertextual Connections: George Herbert, Walt Whitman and Jack Kerouac
Nancy J. Fox: Jack Kerouac’s Reply to Walt Whitman
William Lawlor: Not Moderns, Not Postmoderns, but Whitman! Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s View of Literary Forces that Shaped the Beats and Ferlinghetti

PANEL FOUR: TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA AND ART
Maroney Forum for Arts, Culture and Education (Room 7402)
Fiona Anderson: A trail of drift and debris’: Traces of Whitman in the correspondence art of Ray Johnson
Anthony C. Bleach: “Go Forth” and Multiply: Walt Whitman and Transmedia Storytelling
Václav Paris: Mapping these States: Whitman, Snyder, and the Technologies of Epic Poesis

12:30-2pm Lunch (included with the registration).
Key note Speaker: Anne Charters

2:15- 3:45
PANEL FIVE: EMBATLED BODIES
Nicholas A. Fiorenza Fine Arts Classroom (7213)

Sharon Becker: Something, Someone, Some Spirit”: Haunted Masculinity and Kerouac’s Debt to Whitman in On the Road
Deborah R. Geis: The Hungry Yawp: Eating and Orality in Whitman and Ginsberg
Karl Parker: SINGING/HOWLING THE PER/VERSE & THE OBSCENE: Bodily Poetics in the work of Whitman & Ginsberg
PANEL SIX: THE ROAD
Maroney Forum for Arts, Culture and Education (Room 7402)

Thomas Bierowski: Devolution of the American Road
Robert Mundy: Along the Endless Road, Moving Fast and Still
Patrick Racenberg: Kerouac and nationalism : the search for Walt Whitman's America in On the Road
4:00- 5:30
PANEL SEVEN: POETICS, FORM AND STYLE
Nicholas A. Fiorenza Fine Arts Classroom (7213)

Matt Koch: Allen Ginsberg’s Postmodern Transcendentalism in “A Supermarket in California
William Nesbit: Good Things Come in Small Packages: The Use of the Short Poem by Whitman and the Beats
Walter Raubicheck: Gregory Corso’s “Song of Himself”
PANEL EIGHT: POWER AND POLITICS
Maroney Forum for Arts, Culture and Education (Room 7402)

Eric Keenaghan: Ambassadors of Power: Whitmanic Anarchism, Eroticism, and the Beats’ Opposition to the Cold War State
Stephen B. Hodin: Humanizing War: Walt Whitman’s Civil War Writings, Robert Altman’s MASH, and the American Anti-War Movement
Andrew Vogel: The Dream and the Dystopa: Bathetic Humor as the Beat Legacy of Whitman's Idealism
6PM
On Saturday March 27, 2010 at 6 PM, the New York based chamber music ensemble New Music New York, will perform portions of their upcoming concert “Poets and Prophets: Walt Whitman and His Children” at St. Francis College, located at 180 Remsen Street in Brooklyn, NY. The concert is free and open to the public. “Poets and Prophets” features song and chamber music settings of Whitman and Beat Generation Poets by American composers David Del Tredici, Thomas Cipullo, Jerome Kitzke, John Musto and Charles Naginski. The artists are mezzo soprano Juli Borst, baritone Dennis Tobinski, pianist Mikhail Hallak, and pianist/composer Jerome Kitzke.

7:00-8:30: Cocktails and Appetizers

SUNDAY, MARCH 28th (walks are free and open to the public)
12:00pm. Whitman's Brooklyn walking tour

2:30pm: The Beat Village: A walking tour of The Beat Generation's Greenwhich Village

****NOTE: While we realize that the late time might not allow some of you to come on the tours, due to scheduling issues, these are the only times that are possible. For those of you who are interested (and we hope many of you are!) the tours will be an insider's views of the neighborhoods that these writers made famous. The Beat tour will take approximately an hour. Details will be given at the conference but if you have any questions, pelase feel free to contact me.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Musicians added!

Hello all:

We are pleased to announce that NEW MUSIC NEW YORK will be giving a concert entitled "Poets and Prophets: Walt Whitman and his Children" on Saturday night, March 27th.

Please keep checking back for details!
Hello!
We are excited to tell you that your abstract has been accepted in our Whitman and the Beats conference!

We were happily pleased to see so many great scholars working on a plethora of interesting facets of the Whitman/Beat connection and we are looking forward to hearing you read your paper in March in what we anticipate to be an exciting conference.

While details will continue to follow, let me give some important information concerning the conference:

1)The conference will be held on Saturday March 27th and Sunday March 28th
· The conference was originally planned to be held over three days but after much discussion we have decided to hold it in two, with all of the papers being presented on Saturday and two walking tours on Sunday. Here’s why: we have all been to conferences in which people read a paper and disappear, never to be heard from again. But since all of the presenters at this conference are dealing with much the same source material, we are hoping to build bonds that far outlast the conference. By concentrating these panel sessions over one day, we expect for a greater transference of knowledge and energy.

2)We are excited to announce that Anne Charters will give the keynote speech, entitled, “"A Mountain Too Vast To Be Seen' -- Walt Whitman and the Beats." Dr. Charters, professor of English at the University of Connecticut, is the author of numerous books and articles on Beat writers, including the first ever biography of Jack Kerouac. A truly dynamic speaker and scholar, we are honored that Dr. Charters will be part of our conference.

3)The registration fee is $100 for faculty members, $50 dollars for graduate students and independent scholars. Please make checks payable to St. Francis College.

Send checks to:
St. Francis College
Whitman and the Beats Conference
c/o Dr. Tim Houlihan
180 Remsen Street
Brooklyn Heights
New York, 11201.

· We understand these are tough economic times and if you are unable to pay the registration fee, please contact me at jlennon@stfranciscollege.edu and we will arraign something—we want you here!

3)We need you to confirm that you will be attending this conference by March 1st. This is paramount. We will spend a good deal of time attempting to match papers that organically go well together and we do not want to have panels with no shows. So, please do confirm your acceptance and your desire to come to the conference. Please confirm to whitmanandthebeats@yahoo.com as soon as possible. (Please place in the subject line: “Confirm”)

4)Schedule of events (as the date draws nearer, I will update you with a precise schedule of events)
· On Saturday, we will have panels in the morning, lunch and lecture by Anne Charters, followed by panels in the afternoon. Immediately following, we will then be treated to cocktails and a concert.
· On Sunday we will have two walking tours: In the late morning we will stay in Brooklyn, where we focus on the places that influenced some of Whitman’s most famous poems. From there, we will make a short trip to Greenwich Village, where we will walk by (and sometimes in) the bars, coffee shops, parks and apartments where many of the Beat writers lived and wrote.
5)Please see the attached documentation which includes hotels in the area, restaurants, activities, etc.

We are excited by our many panels and the fascinating scholarly research that all of our participants are engaged. We look forward to meeting you and listening to your presentation.

Take care,
John Lennon

p.s. Please go to our blog http://whitmanandthebeats.blogspot.com/ for updated information.

Key Information about St. Francis College and Surrounding Areas

DIRECTIONS TO ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE

St. Francis College is located in historic Brooklyn Heights at 180 Remsen Street, between Court and Clinton Streets. The College is one block from Borough Hall, the Brooklyn court houses, and various municipal buildings. The College is three blocks from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade to the west and Metrotech Center to the east.

Within two blocks of the campus are all major subway and bus lines to and from all boroughs of New York City. Street parking is limited; however, public parking garages are nearby.

By Subway
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) operates the New York City subway.
Visit www.mta.info for updates.

● 2 Train, 3 Train (7th Avenue Express) stop at Borough Hall.
● 4 Train, 5 Train (Lexington Avenue Express) stop at Borough Hall.
● A Train (8th Avenue Express) stops at Jay Street/Borough Hall.
● B Train (6th Avenue Express) stops at DeKalb Avenue; change to the M Train or R Train which stop at Court Street.
● C Train (8th Avenue Local) stops at Jay Street/Borough Hall.
● D Train (6th Avenue Express) stops at Atlantic Avenue; change to the 2 Train, 3 Train, 4 Train, or 5 Train which stop at Borough Hall.
● F Train (6th Avenue Local) stops at Jay Street/Borough Hall.
● M Train (Nassau Street Local) stops at Court Street.
● N Train (Broadway Express) stops at Pacific Street; change to the R Train which stops at Court Street.
● Q Train (Broadway Express) stops at DeKalb Avenue; change to the M Train or R Train which stop at Court Street.
● R Train (Broadway Local) stops at Court Street.
● W Train (Broadway Local) stops at Whitehall Street; change to the R Train which stops at Court Street.

By Staten Island Ferry
Take the ferry to Manhattan; change to the R Train which stops at Court Street. For more information about ferry service visit www.mta.info/nyct/service/pdf/sircur.pdf or call (718) 727-2508.

By Bus
New York City buses are operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Visit www.mta.info for updates.

● B25, B26, B38, B41, B51, or B52 to Court Street near campus.
● B37, B45, or B75 to Livingston Street.
● B54, B57, B61, or B67 to Jay Street.
● B103 to Adams Street.

From Staten Island, take the S53 bus to 95th Street and Fourth Avenue or the S79 bus to 86th Street and
Fourth Avenue; change to the R Train which stops at Court Street.



By Long Island Railroad
The Long Island Railroad (LIRR) is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Visit www.lirr.org/lirr for timetables, fares, and updates.

Take the LIRR to Flatbush Avenue Terminal and change to the Manhattan-bound 2 Train, 3 Train, 4 Train, or 5 Train in the same station. Take the subway to Borough Hall.

By Car
From Manhattan, follow the Brooklyn Bridge to Cadman Plaza West and turn left at the first traffic light. After several blocks, Cadman Plaza becomes Court Street. The College is on Remsen Street just west of Court Street.

From Queens, take the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) to the Cadman Plaza exit (exit 28). Turn right and follow Cadman Plaza West until it becomes Court Street.

From Staten Island, take the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) to the Atlantic Avenue exit (exit 27). Turn right on Atlantic and left on Clinton Street. The College is on Remsen Street just east of Clinton Street.

From the Bronx, take Triborough Bridge to BQE (I-278). Proceed on BQE to Cadman Plaza/Brooklyn Bridge exit. Turn left onto Cadman Plaza West and proceed to Henry Street. Follow directions from above.

From Long Island: Take Long Island Expressway or Grand Central Parkway to BQE. Follow directions from Bronx.

From Staten Island: Take Verrazzano Narrows Bridge to BQE (I-278). Proceed on BQE to Atlantic Avenue and then left onto Clinton Street. Turn right onto Remsen Street and the college is a half block on the right.

From New Jersey: Take appropriate bridge into Staten Island and follow from above.

Directions from Area Airports to Brooklyn Marriott: New York/JF Kennedy - JFK - Estimated taxi fare: 45.00 USD (one way) Phone: 718-244-4444 Hotel Direction: 15 miles E Driving Directions: Belt Pkwy West to Brooklyn/Queens Expressway(I-278) east; exit Atlantic Ave, turn right at light. Continue 4 lights to Boerum Place and turn left. Hotel is 5 blocks ahead on the right.
Brooklyn Marriott does not provide shuttle service.New York/La Guardia - LGA - Estimated taxi fare: 35.00 USD (one way) Phone: 718-533-3400 Hotel direction: 10 miles S Driving Directions: Grand Central Pkwy West to Brooklyn/Queens Expressway(I-278) to Tillary Street/Manhattan Bridge exit. Make left turn at Adams Street. Proceed to second light. Hotel is on the left. Brooklyn Marriott does not provide shuttle service.Newark - EWR - Estimated taxi fare: 65.00 USD (one way) Phone: 973-961-6600 Hotel direction: 16 miles SW Driving Directions: NJ Turnpike to Holland Tunnel(Exit 14C). Exit onto Canal Street East to Manhattan Bridge. Exit onto Flatbush Avenue Extension. Right turn onto Tillary Street. Left turn onto Adams Street. Proceed to second light. Hotel is on left. Brooklyn Marriott does not provide shuttle service.



HOTEL INFORMATION

N.Y. Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge
333 Adams Street
1-800-228-9290

PARKING GARAGES

Central Parking at the Brooklyn Marriott – 333 Adams Street – 718.222.1032
Edison Parking – 300 Cadman Plaza West – 718.624.0316
Icon Parking – 111 Livingston Street – 718.624.0041
Kinney of Livingston Street – 85 Livingston Street – 718.797.4864
Montague Garage – 180 Montague Street – 718.246.8262
Park Kwik – 211 Atlantic Avenue & Court Street – 718.858.9356
Please call for availability and rates in advance.

CAR SERVICES

Clinton Limo Service – 718.852.9000
Montague Car Service – 718.625.6666
Promenade Car & Limo Service – 718.858.6666

PUBS & RESTAURANTS

Cody’s Ale House Grill – 154 Court Str. (b/w Pacific & Amity) 718.852.6115
Eamonn’s – 174 Montague Str. (b/w Court & Clinton) 718.596.4969
O’Keefe’s Bar & Grill – 62 Court Str. (b/w Joralemon & Livingston) 718.855.8751
P.J. Hanley’s – 449 Court Str. (corner of 4th Place) 718.834.8223

RESTAURANTS

Armando’s – 143 Montague Str. – 718.257.9723
Buon Gusto – 151 Montague Str. – 718.624.3838
Grand Canyon – 141 Montague Str. – 718.797.1402
Heights Café – 84 Montague (Hicks Str.) – 718.625.5555
La Traviata – 139 Montague Str. – 718.858.4100
Marco Polo Ristorante – 345 Court Street (Union Str.) – 718.852.5015
Pete’s Downtown – 2 Water Street – 718.858.3510
Queen Italian Restaurant – 84 Court Street (b/w Livingston & Schermerhorn) 718.596.5954

PIZZERIAS

Monty Q’s Brick Oven Pizza – 158 Montague Str. – 718.246.2000
Monty Q’s on Livingston Street – 90 Livingston Str. – 718.855.0110
My Little Pizzeria – 114 Court Str. – 718.643.6120