John McHale's Introduction to the Symposium Tribute to Jack Kerouac [Clip]

Abstract

John "Jay" McHale, English professor at Salem State College was the organizer of the event. "A Tribute to Jack Kerouac" was held as part of the 4th annual Arts Festival at Salem State College in 1973. It is generally considered the first academic symposium on the life and work of Jack Kerouac. On April 5th, a panel discussion featuring Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, John Clellon Holmes, Aaron Latham, and Peter Orlovsky was held. The Symposium was free-wheeling, as befit the times, and became legendary over the years as the Beat Writers gained in popularity. This video contains language of a highly sensitive nature that may be triggering for some individuals.