▁Liter ature ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Connecticut ▁at ▁St or rs . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁career ▁Char ters ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁in ▁Bridge port , ▁Connecticut . ▁She ▁is ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁American ▁Liter ature ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Connecticut ▁at ▁St or rs ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁interested ▁in ▁Beat ▁writers ▁since ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁when ▁as ▁an ▁under grad uate ▁English ▁major ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Ber keley ▁( B . A . ▁ 1 9 5 7 ) ▁she ▁attended ▁the ▁repeat ▁performance ▁of ▁the ▁Six ▁Gallery ▁Po etry ▁reading ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁where ▁Allen ▁G ins berg ▁gave ▁his ▁second ▁public ▁reading ▁of ▁" How l ." ▁She ▁began ▁collect ing ▁books ▁written ▁by ▁Beat ▁writers ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁student ▁at ▁Columbia ▁University ▁( M . A . ▁ 1 9 6 0 ; ▁Ph . D ▁ 1 9 6 5 ), ▁and ▁after ▁comple ting ▁her ▁doctor ate ▁she ▁worked ▁with ▁Jack ▁Ker ou ac ▁to ▁compile ▁his ▁bibli ography . ▁After ▁his ▁death ▁she ▁wrote ▁the ▁first ▁Ker ou ac ▁bi ography ▁( K er ou ac : ▁A ▁Biography ); ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁Char ters ' ▁book ▁is ▁unique ▁as ▁she ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁bi ograph er ▁who ▁had ▁access ▁to ▁Ker ou ac ▁and ▁interview ed ▁him ▁about ▁the ▁circumstances ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁wrote ▁his ▁books . ▁She ▁also ▁edited