Summary Information
Abstract
A founding member of the Beat Generation, Carr was a friend of Allen Ginsberg,
Jack Kerouac, and other beat writers, and attended Columbia University in 1944. The
Lucien Carr Papers contain correspondence with prominent Beat writers Allen Ginsberg and
Jack Kerouac, as well as some clippings and ephemera.
At a Glance
| Call No.: | MS#0201 |
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| Bib ID: | 4078588 View CLIO record |
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| Creator(s): | Carr, Lucien, 1925-2005. |
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| Title: | Lucien Carr Papers,
1951-1975.
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| Physical description: | 0.5 linear ft. (1 document box and 3 oversize folders).
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| Language(s): | In English
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| Access: |
This collection is located on-site.
More information » |
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Arrangement
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in two series:
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Description
Scope and Content
The Lucien Carr papers contain Carr's correspondence, primarily with Allen Ginsberg and
Jack Kerouac, as well as clippings, book reviews, and articles relating to Ginsberg,
Kerouac, Burroughs, and other Beat Generation figures.
Series I: Correspondence, 1956-1973
The correspondence series contains letters, telegrams, and postcards sent to Carr
from his friends Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. Some of these letters include
fragments of works in progress, such as the Ginsberg letter that includes an early
draft of the first section of "Howl: For Carl Solomon." Many of Kerouac's letters
take the form of poems.
Series II: Printed Material and Ephemera, 1951-1973
The printed Material and Ephemera series is comprised of clippings, articles,
publications, and book reviews relating to members of the Beat Generation and
their work. Also included are three small photographs, two of Allen Ginsberg and
one of William Burroughs, and a typed copy of the Buddhist text
The Diamond Sutra
that was owned by Jack Kerouac.
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Using the Collection
RBML
Access Restrictions
This collection is located on-site.
Restrictions on Use
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the Librarian for Rare
Books and Manuscripts.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known);Lucien Carr Papers; Box and Folder;
Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
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About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Columbia University Libraries. Rare Book and
Manuscript Library; machine readable finding aid created by Columbia University
Libraries Digital Library Program Division
Processing Information
Cataloged 04/17/89 Christina Hilton Fenn
Papers processed 07/1977 Henry Rowen
Papers reprocessed 08/2009 Carrie Hintz
Machine readable finding aid generated from MARC-AMC source via XSLT conversion
August 14, 2009
Finding aid written in English.
2009-08-14
xml document instance created by Carrie Hintz
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Subject Headings
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
All links open new windows.
Genre/Form
Subjects
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History / Biographical Note
Biographical Note
Lucien Carr was born in New York City in 1925, but spent most
of his childhood in St. Louis, Missouri. It was in St. Louis that he first met
Washington University instructor David Kammerer and Kammerer's childhood friend William
S. Burroughs.
After graduating from Andover Academy, Carr briefly enrolled
in Bowdoin College, but soon transferred to the University of Chicago, where he stayed
for two semesters until an apparent suicide attempt caused him to be briefly
institutionalized. His mother, living in New York at the time, convinced Carr to
transfer to Columbia University. At Columbia, Carr, a brilliant student, befriended his
Columbia dormmate Allen Ginsberg and recent graduate, Jack Kerouac. He introduced
Ginsberg and Kerouac to one another and to William Burroughs, who, along with Kammerer,
had moved to New York in Carr's wake. The intelligent and charismatic Carr quickly
became the ringleader of the group of friends--introducing them to the sensualist poetry
of Rimbaud and encouraging their exploration of Greenwich Village clubs.
This period of Carr's life ended abruptly when, after a night
of drinking, Kammerer made increasingly persistent and aggressive sexual advances on
Carr in Riverside Park. The situation became violent and resulted in Carr stabbing and
killing Kammerer. He was convicted of manslaughter and served two years in prison for
the crime.
Though Carr was instrumental in the bringing together the key
players who would form the core of the Beat Generation, he later remained on the
periphery of the movement. He valued his privacy, and asked that his name not be
mentioned in press relating to the beats and even requesting that Allen Ginsberg remove
his name from the dedication of "Howl." Though he moved out of the spotlight, he
remained close with his college friends, supporting Kerouac and Ginsberg throughout
their careers, including briefly allowing Kerouac to live with him and his wife while
Kerouac worked on the manuscript for
On the Road.
He married Francesca (Cessa) van Hartz and took a job at
United Press International where he worked as an editor for the entirety of his 47-year
career in the news business. He and Francesca had three children--Simon, Ethan, and the
writer Caleb Carr--before they divorced.
Carr died of complications of bone cancer in 2005.
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