When I Was Cool

Description

First student of the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, Sam Kashner tells with humor and grace his life with the Beats. But the best story is Kashner himself — the coming-of-age of a young man in the chaotic world of the very idols he hoped to emulate.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more. “Engaging [and] illuminating.” “Consistently funny … moving and always sharply observed.” “Hilarious and touching.” “[This] headlong, infectious tales honors the author’s youthful idols by remembering them with tenderness and affection” “A memoir worth some howling.” “Witty and warm grace notes to the cool history of the Beats.” [Kashner’s] memoir is about enlightenment, the kind that comes from looking back with compassion but with eyes wide open “Fond, funny and finally heartbreaking.”

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