The Outlaw Bible of American Literature

by Alan Kaufman, Barney Rosset, Neil Ortenberg

The Outlaw Bible of American Literature will serve as a primer for generational revolt and an enduring document of the visionary tradition of authenticity and nonconformity in literature. This exuberant manifesto includes lives of the writers, on-the-scene testimony, seminal underground articles never before collected, photographs, cartoons, drawings, interviews, and, above all, the writings. Beat, Punk, Noir, Prison, Porn, Cyber, Queer, Anarchist, Blue Collar, Pulp, Sci-Fi, Utopian, Mobster, Political—all are represented. The Bible includes fiction, essays, letters, memoirs, journalism, lyrics, diaries, manifestoes, and selections from seminal film scripts, including Easy Rider, Apocalypse Now, and Taxi Driver. The editors have brought together an extravagant, eclectic, searing, and unforgettable body of work, showcasing Hustlers, Mavericks, Contrarians, Rockers, Barbarians, Gangsters, Hedonists, Provocateurs, Hipsters, and Revolutionaries—all in one raucous cauldron of rebellion and otherness. This prose companion to the best-selling award-winning Outlaw Bible of American Poetry features selections from Hunter S. Thompson, Exene Cervenka, Patti Smith, Dennis Cooper, Malcolm X, Sonny Barger, Maggie Estep, Lenny Bruce, Henry Miller, R. Crumb, Philip K. Dick, Iceberg Slim, Gil Scott-Heron, Kathy Acker, Jim Carroll, Charles Mingus, Norman Mailer, and many others.

Genres: Literature, Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies, Cultural

920 pages, Paperback

First published December 29, 2004

About the author

Alan Kaufman's novel Matches was published by Little, Brown and Company in the Fall of 2005. David Mamet has called Matches "an extraordinary war novel," and Dave Eggers has written that "there is more passion here then you see in twenty other books combined." Kaufman's critically-acclaimed memoir, Jew Boy (Fromm/Farrar,Strauss, Giroux), has appeared in three editions, hardcover and paperback, in the United States and Great Britain. He is the award-winning editor of several anthologies, the most recent of which, The Outlaw Bible of American Literature, was recently reviewed on the cover of the New York Times Book Review. There are two more volumes in Kaufman's Outlaw anthology series: The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry and The Outlaw Bible of American Esaays. He has taught in the graduate and undergraduate schools of the Academy of Art University and in writing workshops in San Francisco. His work has appeared in Salon, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Partisan Review and The San Francisco Examiner. Kaufman has been widely anthologized, most recently in Nothing Makes You Free: Writings From Descendents of Holocaust Survivors (WW Norton). Kaufman is a member of PEN American Center. Kaufman's papers and manuscripts are on deposit in the Special Collections Library of the University of Delaware and he is profiled in the Europa Biographical Reference Series.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Matches, a novel (Little, Brown); (Constable & Robinson, UK) Jew Boy, a memoir (Fromm/FSG); (Constable & Robinson, UK; Uitgeverij Ten Have, Holland) The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry (Thunder's Mouth Press; Basic Books) The Outlaw Bible of American Literature (Thunder's Mouth Press; Basic Books) The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry (Thunder's Mouth Press; Basic Books) The New Generation: Fiction For Our Time From America's Writing Programs (Anchor/Doubleday) Who Are We? Poems (Davka/Wordland Books LTD)

Reviews

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

haven't read the entire anthology--it's huge. There's bad, good, and great pieces of writing in here. It's a wild mixture.

[Michael Rogan]

Good. Long. Scary. Awesome.

[Tommy Oneill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've only flipped through the book but have had 'The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry for many yrs.One day in Copley Sq in Boston I had permanantly borrowed the Book from the Boston Public Library.As I walked along proud to have stolen an 'Outlaws Bible' a stranger said in passing 'Nice Book'.Man do I love the connection I felt,'The Outlaw Bibles' started my concious journey of reading selective litature.Words that were written for me.I still mis-pronounce some of the words for I never get a chance to hear certain words spoken.There I was a Clean n Sober Outlaw in my 50's had done over 7 yrs inside and I pronounce some of the words wroung.Self education in a forced envirement is'nt all day to read and grow,for 1 thing your surrounded by 4 grade drop outs,snitches and 'My Name is Earl purists'.I still take note that calling a Book a 'BIBLE'might infringe on people's life long devotion of 'The Good Book'its not the word I would have chosen but I spawned an opinion by reading the OB not before.I am of the Oppressed first,a revolutionary in 'Thought and Deed'second and an 'Outlaw' by religion,Ithank A.Camus,J.London,Dostoevsky,LeBon,S.T.Coleridge,P.Kropotkin,A.Rimbaud,E.Goldman,F.Villon and Bob Dylan for getting me started on a lonely but 'My Religion' for a fucking change.The Sky My Ceiling,The Wind My Walls I Beg you to'a page at a time if need be,shed the school yard lies,manslaughter factories,the madhouse before you got kicked out for smoking,come along,Humble,Honest,Selfless,Sober,resentmentless,no axe to grind,But in Self Defense from the Enemies of Freedom'Swift Violent Acts,continue the eradication of 'The Pig' but settle for 'Unity of Thought' as I picture someone reading 'The Outlaw Bibles'.If you read this thank you

[Tasshin Fogleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd like to keep a list of all the passages I enjoyed here:
Live from Death Row by Mumia Abu-Jamal
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Ask Dr. Mueller by Cookie Mueller
Cool For You by Eileen Myles
Junky by William S. Burroughs
Jan and Jack by Neil Ortenberg
Baby Driver by Jan Kerouac
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Off the Road by Carolyn Cassady
Go by John Clellon Holmes
E.A.R.L. by DMX
Interview with Tupac Shakur by Larry Hester for Vibe Online
The Doggfather by Snoop Dogg
James Brown: The Godfather of Soul by James Brown
To Do the Right Thing by Lou Reed
Ripening by Meridel Le Sueur
Thelma & Louise by Callie Khouri
SCUM Manifesto by Valerie Solanas
The Illegal Days by Grace Paley
Living My Life by Emma Goldman
Hell's Angel by Ralph "Sonny" Barger
Street Justice by Chuck Zito
Freewheelin Frank by Frank Reynolds as told to Michael McClure
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song by Melvin Van peebles
Midnight Cowboy by James Leo Herlihy
Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby Jr.
The Passionate Mistakes and Intricate Corruption of One Girl in America by Michelle Tea
Wanda Coleman by In the City of Sleep
A Different Kind of Intimacy by Karen Finley
Whoreson by Donald Goines
Shock Value by John Waters
Dogeaters by Jessica Tarahata Hagedorn
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick
The Ceremony by Weldon Kees
On the Yard by Malcolm Braly
In the Belly of the Beast by Jack Henry Abbott
Sketches by Ken Kesey
Life in Prison by Stanley "Tookie" Williams
Cool Hand Luke by Donn Pearce
The Family by Ed Sanders
Hardcore from the Heart by Annie Sprinkle
The Delicious Grace of Moving One's Hand by Timothy Leary
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the greatest assemblege of writing EVER. This mammoth, phonebook-sized anthology contains the works of some of the most influential, cutting-edge, daring, dirty, dissident, and trully deadly American writers within it's pages. It's a who's who, a twisted literary art gallery including fiction and non-fiction pieces from everybody whom has dared to be different in this young nation's history, at times when different was not only unpopular, but dangerous -- from Jack Kerouac to Chuck Palahnuik to Hunter S. Thompson, and even performers like Patti Smith and DMX, who are less-known for their words than for their music. The table of contents is broken into several different themes--Fists In The Air; XXX; American Renegades, a section on drug trips and more... each theme is represented by between a half-dozen to a dozen or so short stories and/or excerpts from novels. Read the back of this aptly-titled "bible", or just flip to a page and tank up on the type of fuel we'll need for the next American revolution...

[Kala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an assigned reading in one of my writing workshops. Flipping through pages and reading various excerpts one night, I realized that this was hands down the coolest assigned reading I'd ever gotten during my entire college career. Why? Because it was a pleasant reminder that literature doesn't have to be traditional or straight-laced. It can be dirty, gritty or funny, amongst various other things that go against the grain. Each story in this bible offers something different; I even found myself purchasing the full-length books of some of these authors. I highly recommend "The Outlaw Bible" to well, you know, outlaws. Rebels. People who value something that's different than the norm.

[Jenifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The underbelly of American literature - well worth a read. Probably not a page-turner, rather a kind of reference book for when the system is poisoning your blood. Then, a dose of any of the Outlaw Books of American Anything, edit by Alan Kaufman, is a good tonic and will make you appreciate a little balance once again. Also, a great examination of how the system is rigged. By presenting the outlaws, you can see how the in-laws rule.

[robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to keep adding to this review as I read. What's great is that it allows me to form an opinion on various hipster authors I've heard of but haven't read. I'm going to assume that the selected excerpts are representative of them at their best.

Hunter S. Thompson: FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS: read this book and found it long-winded and unfunny. A friend who idolizes Thompson told me he wrote two great books -- this one and FEAR AND LOATHING ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. Maybe I tuned into its wavelength better this time, or perhaps its better in small doses, but this excerpt cracked me up. 5 stars.

Richard Brautigan: THE ABORTION: I don't like Brautigan, so I was surprised to discover a second great piece by him (to go along with his poem "All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace"). It's grounded in an anecdote that you know really happened. 5 stars.

Carlos Castaneda: THE TEACHINGS OF DON JUAN: I love the concept of this man because in the Peace Corps his books were everywhere and had a cool aura attached to them enhanced by their trippy covers. The dude was a big deal. But as so often with books about enlightenment, we get told about an internal transformation but we don't believe in it and there's nothing concrete in its description. The vagueness feels evasive. Sorry to say, but the excerpt was stupid. 1 star.

Paul Krassner: MY ACID TRIP WITH GROUCHO MARX: another hippie writer I've always assumed is overrated. This happens to be a masterpiece and also really gives a sense of the Marx brother. 5 stars.

Lenny Bruce: HOW TO TALK DIRTY AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE: Lenny Bruce reminds me of talk radio. He spouts opinions and people who agree with him laugh because they are flattered by that agreement. But he's not actually funny. His jokes are rarely good. And his snobbery and inflated sense of self is apparent not only in him but in the insider snickers of his fans. Super smug. But this is more of an overview of a conflict rather than a comic set, and Bruce sums effectively sums up the absurd charges he faced. 3 stars.

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X: Masterpiece. I need to read this. 5 stars.

Timothy Leary: THE DELICIOUS GRACE OF MOVING ONE'S HAND: Another hippie icon. His writing is long-winded and indulgent, making his points without any finesse or wit. 2 stars.

Jim Carroll: THE BASKETBALL DIARIES: Not sure I would want to read the book because it might be repetitive, but this is acute documentary prose. 5 stars.

Patti Smith: COMPLETE: I hear her own delivery from the intro to ROCK AND ROLL N*****, but this is volcanic. 5 stars.

Hubert Selby Jr.: LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN: heard about this classic for years. Edgy, but I think Jim Carroll does it better. 2 stars.

Norman Mailer: AN AMERICAN DREAM: I've read good Mailer, but he always needs an editor. He lacks self-control. And though sometimes he seems smart, often his philosophical ideas seem super stoopid. He seems to think that one is more alive when one is committing an act of violence. It's like he's trying to tap into and access some mysterious holy energy. You can see that in his famous idiotic WHITE NEGRO essay. And you can see it here. The nadir of the collection so far. 1 star.

Sam Shepard: ROLLING THUNDER LOGBOOK: Simple. Direct. 3 stars.

Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg: CANDY: read this book and was not impressed. Not sure whether it's because this was the best chapter or because I made the connection with CANDIDE more clearly, but this excerpt pulls off everything it sets out to do. 5 stars.

Alan Kaufman: JEW BOY: It's embarrassing to curate a collection of cool writers and include yourself, but maybe it makes sense if you get paid more by being part of it. But not only does Kaufman include himself, he gives his selection more pages than any other one in the entire book. He thinks he deserves more pages than Hunter Thomson, Nelson Algren, Bob Dylan, Lester Bangs, etc. His writing smacks of the overweening self-importance and narcissism such self-indulgence implies. He comes off like the ultimate hipster who thinks he's cool because he's so edgy. His unvarnished display of ego is embarrassing. 1 star.

Valerie Solanas: SCUM MANIFESTO: Coming after Kaufman, Solanas is a perfect palate cleanser. She's slow-killed Andy Warhol, so I am definitely not on her side, but her rage at the egotism of male patriarchy resonates with a power that can only come from a truth we recognize in some of what she's saying. Rage seems like a legitimate reaction to the injustice of the forces she describes. 5 stars.

Andrea Dworkin: INTERCOURSE: Dworkin is famous for arguing that heterosexual intercourse is rape. Again, she's too extreme to be correct, but there is a force that connects in these few pages. 4 stars.

Mezz Mezzrow: REALLY THE BLUES: Heard of him through a Van Morrison song. His description of gangsters and the way they control jazz music made me think of how pimps control sex workers. What really resonates is his utter contempt for the stupid egotism of the power they wield. Mezz doesn't respect them on any level. He believes in music, not in power. 5 stars.

Greil Marcus: THE OLD, WEIRD AMERICA: Marcus makes magic. He makes listening to a song into a dramatic story. 5 stars.

Eric Burdon: PLEASE DON'T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD: The writing isn't special. What makes this a fun read is my love of Steve McQueen. He gives you insight into the man behind the actor with his entertaining anecdotes. 3 stars.

John Clellon Holmes: GO: A famous Beat novel. Nothing spectacular, but it provides what feels like an authentic glimpse into the world of Beat. 4 stars.

Lester Bangs: PSYCHOTIC REACTIONS: Death versus life in two pages. 4 stars.

Neil Ortenberg: JAN AND JACK: Another excerpt by another editor. However, this one is short and it provides context rather than talks about the self. By humanizing Kerouac's daughter, it sets up the next excerpt perfectly. 4 stars.

Jan Kerouac: BABY DRIVER: a poignant glimpse of a lost daughter trying to connect with the dad who abandoned her by reading the words he wrote to the rest of the world. 4 stars.

[Cory Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

while there certainly were some stories I thought boring or corny, many were great exposure to cool, edgy and obviously talented authors. took over a month for sure but happy I read this one. have done a few collection of short stories this year. have kind of read all the stuff from many of the most known authors, at least the ones I am interested in so far, and needed to expand my taste. this year including this book has certainly helped move that along. my favorite sections were "American Renegades" because it featured classic authors doing their thing, "Riding the Rods" because they were down and out but great at writing about it which I've always loved and "Hard-boiled" because the tough guy noir guys when done well is cool. my least favorite sections were "Chain Whipped" because the bikers were too full of themselves and "XXX Hardcore" because it just wasn't that interwsting to hear about sex.
I'd reccomend this book to anyone who loves American literature but who also is in touch with or at least appreciates the lesa obviously beautiful aspects of life. the gritty truth for many people, especially those of the less than literary world. I am torn between 4 or 5 stars but the experience was really positive so I will lean the more positive direction.

[melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the concept of this book, with writings from Frank Zappa to David Lynch to William Burroughs. However, what I found weird and unnerving about this book is that many of the pieces are simply excerpts from many books I have already read. The texts from offbeat artists, singers, and writers are what make this book worth reading at all, but I can definitely do without reading the first 10 pages of "Oranges Aren't the Only Fruit" again. I don't know. It kind of seemed like they just wanted hipsters to buy this book for the title then filled it in with all of the books they read at one time or another. I guess I'm a hipster for buying it though....oops.

[deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book, a smorgashbord of essays and excerpts from countercultural greats, beat poets, and the unconventional. contributors range from margaret sanger and emma goldman to tupac and eric burden. and of course it includes burroughs, keroac, cassady, and ginsberg. the only downfall is that i got really into what i was reading and then wanted to read more. i would recommend reading the outlaw's bible as a starting point and an introduction to an author's work.

[Pawl]

oops.. guess there are more books out there with the prefix "outlaw bible of..."
This one is Literature (as opposed to the Poetry one I had up there or the Essays one that is also available). And I'm not really on any page in particular as these collections allow one to flip until one feels like stopping and reading. All the passages vary in length from one or two paragraphs to 5 pages; perfect right before bed.

[Mira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty impressive collection. You get a little weighed under by relentlessness of general downward spiral of most of the excerpts, but I kept going to the author index and going "who is that author again?" "why have I not taken this in before?". Because most of the writing is good or great, it becomes really difficult remembering who is who. I liked Cookie Mueller's writing a lot. Very expressive and funny.

[Riah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! If you don't own this book, you're missing out. It pretty much has every American literary author that I have ever loved... in one place.... with just enough to tantalize, but short enough tidbits to be able to put down to take a break between beatings. Wow! That's pretty much all I've gotta say... Wow!

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonsensical concept (outlaw? bit try hard) for a book containing such an array of texts, but also, pretty thrilling reading nonetheless. A good dipper. Premium toilet reading essentially, if that's your thing.

Just noticed someone below called Dierdre labelled this a smorgasbord. Good shout, Dierdre.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like your favorite tapas bar -- plenty of well-known and classic morsels to dig into here with a few new ones that you'll immediately fall for. And no portion is ever too big if it's not your thing.

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a collection! Always something good to read and go back to.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The editors seem to think that beat poetry is more hardass than a Jason Statham movie.

[amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic collection.

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the greatest collection of writing I've ever read....it has something by everyone you could think of and every genre imaginable.

[Melanie]

Badass dot txt

[Everthere · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit of a mixed bag that contains too few gems to discover for those already somewhat familiar with cult classics.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

a cross section of my literary heroes.

[Erin]

A buffet of literature written by rebels, revolutionaries, gangsters, poets, drug addicts, music legends, and other crazy people we all know and love.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great collection...highly recommend.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far, harshly beautiful. Very gritty.

[Southernbelletat]

This has been a great fucking read!! Outlaw that!! LOL :)

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok

[Tj]

Definitely like the collection of excerpts. i want to read the full books of most of them.

[David Rullo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly not as good as the poetry collection. You'll find pirces ranging from great to subpar. Not necessarily new or needed but an interesting anthology for a road trip.