John Clellon Holmes
John Clellon Holmes was an influential writer associated with the Beat Generation, born in Massachusetts in the early 20th century. He studied at Columbia University in the 1940s, where he formed a friendship with Jack Kerouac, another pivotal figure in the movement. Together, they coined the term "Beat Generation" during discussions about their generation’s struggles against societal norms. Holmes documented his observations and experiences with fellow beatniks like Kerouac, Neal Cassady, and Allen Ginsberg, which culminated in his renowned debut novel, *Go*. This work, published in 1952, captured the essence of the Beat lifestyle and became a bestseller. He followed up with *The Horn*, a celebrated jazz novel, further solidifying his place in Beat literature, and later released *Get Home Free*, a sequel to *Go*. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Holmes led a more subdued life, focusing on academia while teaching at various universities. He passed away in Connecticut in 1988, leaving a legacy as a significant chronicler of the Beat Generation.
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John Clellon Holmes
Writer
- Born: March 12, 1926
- Birthplace: Holyoke, Massachusetts
- Died: March 30, 1988
- Place of death: Middletown, Connecticut
Biography
John Clellon Holmes, a twentieth century Beat Generation writer, was born in Massachusetts. In the 1940’s, Holmes began studying at Columbia University where he met Jack Kerouac, one of the most influential figures of the Beat Generation. Holmes and Kerouac became quick friends and spent their evenings gathered at poetry readings and literary discussions with New York City’s intellectual and literary elites. It was at one such gathering that Holmes and Kerouac coined the phrase Beat Generation. They had engaged in a conversation about the kids of their generation being persecuted or “beat down” for their alternative lifestyle choices and decided that the phrase “Beat Generation” adequately described themselves and their peers.
Holmes realized that the Beat Generation’s bohemian lifestyle and keen ambitions were symbolic of a large counter-culture movement. He began recording notes of his insights and adventures with beatniks such as Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, and Allen Ginsberg. He eventually accumulated these notes into his best-selling novel titled Go.
Five years after the successful release of Go, Holmes published his second novel. This work, titled The Horn, was a book about the jazz music of the 1950’s and 1960’s. The Horn was also well-received and became known as the definitive jazz novel of the Beat Generation. Furthermore, as a sequel to Go, Holmes published the novel Get Home Free which depicted the fate of two characters from the original novel. Get Home Free wasn’t published until 1964 and would prove to be the last novel written by Holmes.
Kerouac and Holmes remained friends throughout the years. Holmes didn’t lead a life as full of drug experimentation and controversy as other beatniks, but instead, was content to spend the later years of his life pursuing a writing and academic career. Holmes served as a professor at the University of Arkansas as well as a lecturer at Yale and Brown Universities. John Clellon Holmes died in Connecticut in 1988.