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[photo: Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum] [photograph image: Dennis Hopper and the late Bruce Conner, both Kansas natives, by Larry Keenan, San Francisco, 1996. Copyright 1996, Larry Keenan, Beat Generation Photos; Used with permission.] [photograph: Offy Killer, No. 25 Sprint Car, Chet Wilson, Wichita | Jetmore Motorplex | 2005 Photograph Copyright, George Laughead]

Beats in Kansas: A Literary Cosmic Vortex

Seminar
April 7, 2019

 

Wichita Public Library, Wichita, Kansas

The heartland has known the Beat writers from cradle to grave -- Michael McClure and Charles Plymell were born in Kansas, and William S. Burroughs spent his last years and died in Lawrence. In between, Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder made significant trips to the state. Other Kansas figures include Bruce Connor, Dennis Hopper, James Mechem, Roxie Powell, Jim McCrary, Wayne Propst, Glenn Todd, Alan Russo, John Fowler, Justin Hein, Bob Branaman, Ronald Johnson, and Burroughs' heir James Grauerholz, to name a few. The karmic connection between Beat figures and Kansas influences the literary communities to this day. George Laughead's website Beats In Kansas was launched in 2002. Sponsored by Humanities Kansas.

 

Kerry Wynn, Washburn University Map of Kansas Literature Project Director, will spend some time introducing the new map of Kansas authors;

Troy James Weaver, Wichita writer, will give a reading, with brief comments about how the Beats influence his work;

Denise Low, former Poet Laureate Kansas, will talk about Beats in Kansas: The Lawrence-Wichita Magnetic Pole

George Laughead, founder Beats in Kansas website, will give Beat Memoir with Artifacts, Beat life from 1963-2019

 

Honored guests will include Patrick O'Connor, David Quick, and Dr. Jay Price, WSU History Dept Chair.

 

City of Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas

New: LoudLight, Progressive pro-voting and student voter registration group based in Topeka. Davis Hammet is director and spokeperson.

Equality House, Topeka, KS FaceBook page.

Kansas African-American Museum

Bruce Conner Memorial, "ON BRUCE CONNER (may he rest in peace) AND ASSORTED KANSAN COHORTS," by poet Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore, 2008, Beats In Kansas

[photograph: Alison Streiff Scott and George Laughead, Wichita Vortex location; camera held by Neal Smith.]

Alison Streiff Scott and George Laughead, Wichita Vortex location; camera held by Neal Smith; August 2009.

Expanded Charles Plymell section at Beats in Kansas [photo: Beat Generation writer Charles Plymell in Moody's Skidrow Beanery shirt, Cherry Valley, NY, 2002. Copyright 2002, Pat O'Connor.]

New Robert Branaman section at Beats In Kansas

Kansas Register of Historic Places Nomination: Kaufman Building - Built in 1924, the Kaufman Building is significant for its association with Wichita�s role as a wholesale wheat-trading center during the 1920s and as an example of architect-designed early twentieth-century fireproof commercial construction. Local entrepreneur Hilbert Kaufman commissioned the building in 1922 and hired the architecture firm of Eberson and Weaver, a Chicago-based firm, to design his building.

Wichita's Mentholatum building celebrates 100 years

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Sedgwick County KS Web Sites

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Site maintained by George Laughead , Dodge City Tourism and AAM Small Museums & Technology. Site established 1993. Thanks to the late Dr. Lynn H. Nelson, author of "HNSource, the first history site on the WWW."
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Return to the Top. Site previously maintained at the University of Kansas. Site maintained in Dodge City, KS. Updated: 05 March 2019.
(© 2002-2019, George Laughead)