Jack Kerouac: Essentials of Spontaneous Prose

Overview

Jack Kerouac's piece on the essentials of spontaneous prose outlines his philosophy on writing, emphasizing the influence of jazz, spontaneity, and the rejection of traditional grammatical conventions. This method is integral to the Beat Generation's critique of societal norms.

Key Concepts

Set-Up

• Objective: The object (real or from memory) is set before the mind like a sketch.
• Imagery: Writing becomes sketching from memory, capturing a clear image-object.

Procedure

• Time Sensitivity: Emphasizes the purity and speed of thoughts, akin to a jazz musician's improvisation.
• Undisturbed Flow: Language should flow unencumbered, capturing personal ideas and words.

Method

• Grammar and Structure: Rejects traditional punctuation and sentence separation.
• Space Dash: Uses vigorous space dashes to mimic rhetorical breathing similar to jazz phrasing.
• Influence: Influential in new poetries, moving away from traditional grammatical constraints.

Scoping

• Expression: Focuses on free association and limitless exploration of thought.
• Personal Satisfaction: Prioritizes personal satisfaction over reader approval, relying on the shared human mind for communication.

Lag in Procedure

• Natural Flow: Avoids pauses for word selection, encouraging a build-up of ideas.
• Rhythm: Emphasizes the natural rhythm as akin to timing in jazz or speech.

Timing

• Temporal Flow: Emphasizes that nothing is muddy if it flows in time.
• No Revisions: Encourages no revisions except for obvious errors, stressing immediate expression.

Center of Interest

• Immediate Focus: Begin from the current center of interest, expanding outwards.
• Avoid Afterthoughts: Avoid revisiting thoughts to "improve" them; value the initial honest expression.

Structure of Work

• Modern Structures: New structures arise from a genuine engagement with language and theme.
• Flow Dynamics: Writing should naturally flow over the central idea, condensing towards the end.

Mental State

• State of Mind: Writing should aim to be "without consciousness," similar to a trance.
• Subconscious Expression: Allow the subconscious to guide the writing process, embracing natural, unfiltered language.
• Organic Flow: Write swiftly and excitedly, letting the natural flow dictate the pace.