Recently by david amram

Editors note: In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the publishing of Jack Kerouac's seminal "On The Road" we asked his friend (and fellow Shark) David Amram to share with us his thoughts. What follows is most of an email he sent to Nick Tremulis. It is a testament to vitality, positivity and seemingly boundless creativity.

Jack [Kerouac] felt and acted and lived in that open warm and human way, knowing that an artist has nothing of lasting value to offer the world if they allow themselves to be turned into a mirror image of swinish selfish egotistical uncaring types who flatter them while abusing others..

Whenever we would see one of our friends do a little better than others and suddenly become abusive, i used to quote to Jack the killer line form the old Hebrew prayer from the Yiskor.... "Let not the oppressed becomed the oppressor"

My time is spent working 16 hour DAYS just trying to keep up with all I am doing. At 75, my schedule is MORE INSANE (but more gratifying) than ever!!! I am here in Denver until June 3rd, as 'Visiting Distinguished Professor" (the University of Denver's description of me, not mine).

I have already been assigned to 22 different events (!!!) as well as appearing in classes and seminars for the Sociology department, Creative Writing, French Studies, Anthropology, American Studies, Drama and Film, Jewish Studies, and of course the Music School.

Ath-bhliain fe mhaise dhuit!!!!
i.e. HAPPY NEW YEARS (IN GAELIC)

NOW I AM GOING TO WORK ON,,,,SHPREKKIN' DE GUD ENGLISH!!!!

Below is my last weekend's schedule which started off the New Years off in sunny Tarpon Springs Florida, after shoveling snow here in the freezing hills of Putnam Valley, NY.

It was a wonderful concert, from Mozart and Bach to Scott Joplin and Duke Ellington. I hadn't been to Tarpon Springs since the winter of 1936-37 when I went to the first grade in Passagrille Florida, so seventy years later, it was nice to make a comeback!!!