Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Road Scholar


I don't think Andrei Codrescu's Road Scholar (1992/1993, Roger Weisberg, director, Jean De Segonzac, cinematographer) is available yet on DVD, but it's worth seeing in any form one can find it. It's an American road trip from East to West Coast, touching down in landscapes as diverse as Camden, New Jersey (think Whitman), Hamtramck (Detroit), and San Francisco. Viva the Beats!


Only because we were both smoking cigarettes on the fringes of an Ann Arbor gathering at the time, I met Mr. Codrescu back in 2002. Very cool guy as well as poet, cultural observer and champion. Much more to say, but for now, a nod to Road Scholar while trying to find a copy to watch again.

Today's Rune: Initiation.

4 comments:

the walking man said...

Hamtramk, of all of the towns and desert hideaways a long hair bearded walker roamed though, it was that town, and only that town that ever arrested me.

Ha ha ha ha ha and I was pure US Navy at the time short hair and all. (1973)Guess I should'na been hanging out with the long haired unwashed masses crowd after my sisters wedding.

I didn't mind the arrest as much as the back alley stop the cops made, to inflict their own justice on the handcuffed. It was cool though, worth the beating, for the one kick to the nuts of the bigger cop I got in before assuming the Martin Luther King taught position for taking a beating.

Memory is a fine thing for an old road dog. Thanks Erik.

Peace

mark

Luma Rosa said...

Erik, for still I did not find nor the book here, looks VHS much less dvd. I am curious! Beijus

Joe said...

I'd love to see that. I've been reading a bit of Mr. Codrescu lately and enjoying it. It's funny, after that came out, another Eastern European decided to do the same thing, inspired by Codrescu. He planned on ending his trip by interviewing Codrescu in New Orleans, where all his equipment and tapes got stolen. Ouch.

Lana Gramlich said...

Sounds interesting! Reminds me of a road trip I took w/2 friends over 10 years ago now. We went from Niagara Falls, CND (basically,) to the Grand Canyon (& other areas of AZ.) All along the way, people looked at us funny & asked where were were from because of our accents. The way we saw it, however, was that our accents were remaining constant, but every time we had to stop for gas, THEIR accents changed. *L*