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Title: Beat from the Other Side
Review: A part of this memoir--the first 68 pages--is given over to Joan's male relationships around 1950 before she met and married Jack Kerouac. She and Bill Canasta had a close buddy relationship living together. Bill Canasta-- a sad, brilliant and drinking early beat figure who died when he tried to climb out of a subway window--is depicted lovingly. The attempted rape by a former work colleague is horrifically depicted. Joan describes the pressure at the time for women to marry, to escape the pressure of men hitting on them, and the fear of rape. She accepts much of the gender roles given women during her time, but refuses to sacrifice her independence of mind. She describes honestly the slow awakening of her libido and provides a brutally honest view of her relationship with the king of the Beats. The book is written in a clear, unassuming, and intelligent style.
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