Empty Phantoms – Interviews and Encounters With Jack Kerouac (Expanded & Revised)

Empty Phantoms: Collected Interviews with Jack Kerouac (Expanded & Revised) gathers together all known printed, recorded, and filmed interviews—including those celebrated, infamous, or obscure—with the acclaimed American writer, Jack Kerouac.

In many instances, the interviews are transcribed from original tapes and are either unabridged, like the famous “Paris Review” or unexpurgated, such as the Northport Library interview.

Although many top-notch journalists, from Mike Wallace to William F. Buckley, conducted the interviews, it is Kerouac who dominates the proceedings, with his energy, wit, passion, anger, astute insights, playfulness, literary integrity, and searching spirituality. Best of all, the interviews are replete with Kerouacisms like «walking on water wasn't built in a day, wisdom is heartless," and "pity dogs and forgive men," which have been a cherished aspect of Kerouac's literature.

Beyond his own works, this living portrait of Kerouac isn't available anywhere else.