Kerouac’s Cascadia with Jim Jones
Our guest, Jack Kerouac scholar Jim Jones, describes Kerouac’s sojourn to Seattle in the summer of 1956. There, he worked as a fire lookout at Desolation Peak atop the North Cascade Mountains. Along the way, Jones recounts personal encounters and friendships with other Beat Generation luminaries, including Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Gregory Corso.
Adding a touch of practical insight, firefighter, EMT and seasoned fire lookout Jim Henterly complements Jones' literary perspective. Together, they reveal Kerouac’s Cascadian adventure while exploring the feelings of anticipation, vulnerability, and disappointment that often accompany travel to unknown lands.
We record on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish peoples. Our gratitude to Steven Schroeder. This episode is dedicated to the memory of Sharon Lynn Oswalt and Wen Chu-an.
The views expressed in this podcast series are those of the guests and reflect their personal lived experiences. Power of Place presents oral histories with real people, and while some opinions may be controversial, they are shared as authentic expressions that honor the complexity of place. Conversations are edited for length and clarity, but otherwise remain unedited to preserve context and substance. Listener discretion is advised.
“When people tell you about a place, you form an impression in your imagination. And when you get there, it’s either going to coincide or clash with your imagination of it.”
