Author Ray Bradbury died three weeks ago. June 5th, 2012.

In 2006, the city of Fayetteville celebrated Bradbury in its city-wide ‘Big Read’ event. He wrote this letter to the assistant director of the Fayetteville Public Library. Thank you to the folks at Letters of Note for bringing this to our attention.

September 15, 2006

Dear Shawna Thorup:

I’m glad to hear that you good people will be celebrating my book, “Fahrenheit 451.” I thought you might want to hear how the first version of it, 25,000 words and which appeared in a magazine, got done.

I needed an office and had no money for one. Then one day I was wandering around U.C.L.A. and I heard typing down below in the basement of the library. I discovered there was a typing room where you could rent a typewriter for ten cents a half hour. I moved into the typing room along with a bunch of students and my bag of dimes, which totaled $9.80, which I spent and created the 25,000 word version of “The Fireman” in nine days. How could I have written so many words so quickly? It was because of the library. All of my friends, all of my loved ones, were on the shelves above and shouted, yelled and shrieked at me to be creative. So I ran up and down the stairs, finding books and quotes to put in my “Fireman” novella. You can imagine how exciting it was to do a book about book burning in the very presence of the hundreds of my beloveds on the shelves. It was the perfect way to be creative; that’s what the library does.

I hope you enjoy reading my passionate output, which became larger a few years later and became popular, thank God, with a lot of people.

I send you all my good wishes,

(Signed)

John Crawford is a photographer based out of Auckland, New Zealand. His latest project is Aerial Nudes, a series of photos captured from a helicopter. A commentary on humans in the big picture.

Sylvia Plath, the writer, was fond of drawing for her own pleasure. Her illustrations were on display at London’s Mayor Gallery last year. But fans can find her work online in The Telegraph’s slide show.

- Allana D’Souza, Grade 2 teacher

Joshua Moraes and I bump into each other every so often. And when we do we talk about economic bubbles, letterpress printing, rent vs. mortgage payments, and Goa…we’ve never lived there.

One of Joshua’s latest projects has been outreach for the MP and MPP in the Davenport riding on the issue of the new commuter Air Rail Link between Pearson International Airport and Union Station. During our last bump, we discussed it.

What’s the Clean Train Coalition?

It’s about Torontonians uniting against plans to have diesel trains run through 12 neighbourhoods. Everyone agrees we need the ARL (Air Rail Link) but let’s do it right. Let’s electrify the line. It’s environmentally sound and can serve a ton more residents.

Why haven’t the trains been electrified as part of the plan then? Is diesel cheaper? 

The plan to use diesel can be attributed to the initial costs being cheaper, as well as the rush to have this line up and running for the 2015 Pan Am Games.

Although it is initially cheaper to build the line diesel, the operating costs, once the line is built, are far cheaper if electrified. Studies have indicated the costs would be recouped in 10 years. Also, the diesel plan only allows for two stops between Union Station and the airport, less stops because stopping and starting diesel trains is expensive, dirty and loud. However, electrifying the line would allow for more stops and thus be accessible to a ton more residents, bringing in more revenue.

As for the Pan Am Games, well, my response is ‘who cares’? It’s a two-week sporting event. Why should 300,000 residents in 12 neighbourhoods along the line suffer a lifetime of pollution for that?

Having more stops on the line would defeat the purpose of an express train. Would you rather they forget making it express and just have another commuter line? 

I grew up near Steeles and Victoria Park, the outer edges of Scarborough on the border of Markham. As a teen, heading downtown was rewarding but one hell of a trek. The Sheppard line didn’t exist yet. I would have to take the Steeles 53 bus to Finch station. The 53 did provide one of 4 choices, one of which was the 53E, an express bus that made very few stops on the way to Finch station.

We can do the same here. We can build a line with great flexibility. One that serves multiple commuter needs. While it is possible to electrify the line and still have it be only an express route with two stops, does that make sense? Is that building accessible, multi-use mass transit? Keep in mind that a route like that targets a smaller select group of people able to pay a ticket price upwards of $25.00 to $30.00 to get to the airport. Having more stops opens the line up to more users and brings down the cost per user.

With electric it doesn’t have to be one or the either. 140 trains per day works out to a minimum of 5 trains per hour. How about two express trains and three all-stop trains per hour?  Or maybe three express and three local during peak hours? Electric gives us options, diesel doesn’t.

The people doing the development say that it will take too long for environmental studies, etc, to build an electric train line instead of diesel. They say an electric line won’t be ready for the Pan Am Games. This may be true, but realistically, can this be approved much faster if all levels of government dedicate their attention to getting the approvals pushed fast? Or am I just being overly optimistic that the slow chugging bureaucracy of government can ever speed up?

Greater emphasis should be placed on getting this whole thing done right first and then setting up a deadline. Having 300,00 residents (including day care centres, schools, and a long term respitory care centre within proximity of tracks), and having people across the GTA suffer diesel pollution for years to come because of a two-week sporting event doesn’t make sense.

Red tape is a nuisance for sure but careful assessment is paramount. It’s not just the environment but also making sure that a project like this works to improve the transit needs for the widest number of Torontonians.

(See Clean Train Coalition for more information.)

Robert Coello has a power arm but he’s still learning how to get big league hitters out. (Bryan Green)

Robert Coello may be the most anonymous man on the Toronto Blue Jays roster. Indeed, his journey to the majors is one of the most circuitous on the team. So who is he? Let’s take a look at Coello’s story and what he can bring to the Blue Jays bullpen.

PROFILE

The Kansas City Royals drafted Robert Coello in the 46^th round, 1353^rd overall, out of Lake Region High School in central Florida in the 2003 draft. As a catcher. A high school student with options, Coello chose not to sign and instead attended Northwest Florida State College (then known as Okaloosa-Walton Junior College) before re-entering the draft in 2004. This time, the Cincinnati Reds selected Coello in the 20^th round, 588^th overall and got him to sign on the dotted line.

He began 2005 in extended spring training but fractured a rib in June and missed the rest of the season. A lost year.

The next spring, before Coello ha’d ever played a game for them, the Reds released him. His pro career looked like it could be over before it started. But Coello stayed in shape through the summer and hooked on with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in September. With one catch – they wanted to convert him into a pitcher. At the time, Coello was clocked throwing 90+ mph to the bases. So he didn’t lack for arm strength.

He finally got on the field late in 2007 with the short-season, rookie-level Arizona League Angels. The competition was mostly teenagers – but Coello was only beginning his own development and acquitted himself well. Pitching out of the bullpen, he threw in 20 games and went 1-1, 1.37 in 26.1 innings with a 26/7 SO/BB ratio. But the Angels elected not to keep him and Coello was again a free agent.

But he persevered.

Coello journeyed to the independent leagues, and across the border, playing in Canada in the Golden Baseball League for the Calgary Vipers. He got off to a rocky start and found himself traded to the cross-province Edmonton Cracker-Cats by midseason. He struggled with his control in Edmonton but frequently pitched out of trouble against marginal competition and finished the season with a 3-1, 3.29 line in 41 innings and a 47/24 SO/BB ratio across 32 games. He had good raw stuff but the kind of command issues to be expected from a pitcher with 60-odd innings of professional experience. Still, his performance was enough to catch the attention of the Boston Red Sox who signed him in November. That didn’t stop him from playing winter ball, and working as a starter, for the Algodoneros de Guasave. After years of false starts, and a year in virtual baseball exile, Coello signed with Boston and was headed back into organized ball.

He started the year with the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox, making one appearance, before beginning his expected assignment with the high-A Salem Red Sox of the Carolina League. He showed nasty strikeout stuff on the way to an excellent season: 33 games, 5-3, 2.05 in 66 innings with an 82/34 SO/BB rate and a 1.09 WHIP. The strikeout rate (11.2/9) was exceptional but he fought his control to an unsustainable (4.6/9) walk rate. Once again the positives easily outweighed the negatives for a guy in first year of full-season ball, still learning how to pitch. Opponents hit only .167 off him and he didn’t give up a run in his last ten outings, covering 18.2 IP, including three appearances in the playoffs. Coello flashed potential but needed more minor league time to harness his stuff.

Boston agreed and to begin 2010 assigned Coello to the AA Portland Sea Dogs. He worked as a swingman in 14 games, going 4-1, 3.32 in 43.1 IP and an impressive 51/14 SO/BB ratio. His 3.64 SO/BB ratio was a career best and the improved command earned him a promotion to Pawtucket. The PawSox desperately needed him and worked Coello hard. He pitched in 18 games en route to a 3-5 record and 4.22 ERA across 64 innings. His command slipped a bit, leading to a 79/30 SO/BB line but he was still striking guys out (11.1/9), though his walk rate (4.2/9) was slipping fast. Batters again struggled to make consistent contact against him (.192 BAA) but drove the ball when they did (10 HR allowed). Still, between the two levels, he’d managed to lead all Red Sox farmhands with 130 strikeouts and again finished his season on a high note while pitching out of the PawSox bullpen. In 9 relief outings his ERA was 1.40 (3 ER/19.1 IP) with a 24/9 SO/BB line.

His changeup was lacklustre and his curveball registered as a fringe-level, show-me pitch. But Coello could bring the heat, often touching 95 mph, and looked like he might have a future in the pen. In a neat twist, the future came quickly. In September, Boston rewarded his impressive minor league numbers and allowed him to realize a dream. He made his major league debut at home, against Tampa Bay, and got into 6 total games going, 0-0, 4.76 with a 5/5 SO/BB rate, holding opponents scoreless in 5 of 6 appearances. It was a dream season. But that would soon gives way to a harsher reality. The following February, just days before pitchers and catchers were to report for spring training, Boston signed relievers Alfredo Aceves and Dennys Reyes to bolster their bullpen, designating Coello for assignment to accommodate them. Ultimately, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for minor league utility guy Tony Thomas. Like that, Coello was a Cub. He would have to prove himself to a new organization – one with little investment in him compared to the Red Sox.

He did begin 2011 on the Cubs’ 40-man roster,  assigned him to the AAA Iowa Cubs. He began the year as a starter but eventually became more of a swingman; sometimes starting games, sometimes finishing them. He piled up a 4-5 record and 6.52 ERA in the rotation – brutal numbers, even for the Pacific Coast League – but Chicago couldn’t afford to move him to the bullpen. They needed his innings. They were having the same problem in the majors and in May signed journeyman Rodrigo Lopez to bail out their limping rotation. Again, Coello found himself D’dFA to make room. This time, he cleared waivers and was outrighted to the AA Tennessee Smokies where he worked as a starter for 4 games, going 1-2, 3.00 in 21 innings with a 16/7 SO/BB ratio, fighting his way back to Iowa. He spent the balance of the season in AAA, pitching out of the bullpen full-time beginning in July. Like in 2010, the results were impressive – 19 appearances, a 1.01 ERA, a .149 BAA with 42 SO in 35.2 innings. Put together, he totalled 30 games, going 6-6, 4.45 in 95 innings with a 94/41 SO/BB ratio. By now, the book on Coello was out: Good stuff, real velocity, questionable command. He turned 27 during the offseason and, with the Cubs rebuilding, found himself a free agent again. His best shot at success was to catch on somewhere as a reliever and hope for an opportunity. He played winter ball in Venezuela and, in December, signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays.

Toronto seemed a decent fit for Coello. Though the team had a host of relief options in the majors, many in the organization were familiar with Coello’s resume (manager John Farrell was the Red Sox pitching coach in 2010 and first base coach Torey Luvullo managed the PawSox the same year) and keen to tap into his arsenal. Coello also helped his cause by pitching well in spring training before heading to AAA Las Vegas to work as a reliever and spot starter. By now, he’d abandoned his fringe curve in favour of a hard slider. His forkball, called “funky” this year by Farrell, can also be effective. He’s been one of the 51s’ most reliable arms so far, pitching to a 4-1, 3.00 line in 42 IP with just 31 hits allowed and a 43/18 SO/BB ratio in 19 games. In May, the Blue Jays’ bullpen needed bailing out and he was added to the 40-man roster.

OUTLOOK

Coello’s journey to the show has followed a winding road through unconventional outposts. At 27, he now has the best opportunity of his career to stick in the majors for an extended run. The early returns are encouraging: 0-1, 3.60 in 5 innings with 8 strikeouts and 2 walks. The Blue Jays will likely fight to fill innings the rest of the season and, if Coello can continue his early success, it would surely help the team bridge some big middle innings. His ability to throw multiple frames is a big asset. And it doesn’t hurt that John Farrell’s already a fan. It’s not impossible to think he could even start in a pinch before the season’s over.

Coello can reach back and find plus velocity on his fastball – 95 at times, sitting at 92-93 – and there might still be a bit of development in his forkball and slider. Because his arm strength is combined with a funky delivery he still projects best as a middle or possibly late-inning reliever. First he’ll have to prove that he can use his stuff to consistently get major league hitters out. With their rotation decimated, the Jays are in survival mode now. For Coello, that means not all of his opportunities will be ideal. Same goes for Jesse Chavez, Aaron Laffey and Evan Crawford. But it’s a shot. I expect Coello will battle consistency at times, piling up strikeouts in stretches but probably walks, too. Look for him to get heavy usage the rest of the way, finishing in the majors, and possibly finishing with a run of success like he’s experienced in the minors. A line of 2-4, 4.75, 45 IP, 40/25 SO/BB seems right.

STAT SHEET

Robert Coello, RP
11/23/84            Bats: R             Throws: R       HT: 6-5          WT: 250
Bayonne, New Jersey              College: Okaloosa-Walton College (Niceville, Florida)
Drafted by Cincinnati in the 20^th round, 588^th overall, of the 2004 MLB Amateur Draft.
Acquired: Signed as a free agent December 2011.
Contract Status: Not eligible for arbitration before 2016.
Salary: N/A
Service Time: 0.029

My Monday mornings are difficult. Generally most of my mornings are difficult. The OHEA Smart Bed may help.

The Toronto Blue Jays acquired Jesse Chavez to be a depth arm. A journeyman expected to spend the season at AAA. But Toronto liked his live arm and gave him the chance to stretch out as a starter. Now, Chavez finds himself on the 40-man roster returning to Las Vegas fresh off a successful first appearance with the Jays. Let’s see how he got here and look at whether he can have continued success at the major league level.

PROFILE

The Chicago Cubs drafted Jesse Chavez in the 39^th round, 1158^th overall, in the 2001 MLB Amateur Draft out of AB Miller High School in Fontana, California. A late-round pick with little incentive to sign, Chavez instead chose to attend Riverside Community College and re-enter the draft in 2002. This time, the Texas Rangers selected him in the 42^nd round, 1252^nd overall, ultimately signing him in May of 2003.

He began his professional career that summer with the low-A Spokane Indians of the Northwest League, on a talented squad featuring, among others, John Danks and Ian Kinsler. Chavez served as a swingman across 17 games, starting 8 and going 2-2, 4.55 in 55.1 innings with good stuff but spotty command (48/31 SO/BB). He wasn’t highly regarded but held his own despite being the youngest arm on the team.

In 2004, Texas promoted him to the low-A Clinton Lumber Kings of the Midwest League. Pitching mostly out of the rotation, Chavez went 6-10, 4.68 in 123 IP with an improved 96/35 SO/BB count. The surface stats were mediocre but his velocity was impressive, often hitting 94-96, and his hard slider showed potential. He still gave up a lot of hits (10.8/9) and his strikeout rate dipped (7.0K/9) as the innings piled up. But Chavez also cut his walk rate dramatically (2.6BB/9). He still had a lot to prove but his arm withstood the innings increase and he appeared in line for another promotion if he could find a way to miss more bats.

The change of scenery came in 2005. With it, a change in role. Texas management shifted him to the bullpen and the early returns were outstanding. Chavez began with the high-A Bakersfield Blaze and went 0-0, 2.22 in 24.1 IP with only 16 hits allowed (.182 BAA) and an eye-popping 31/9 SO/BB. Chavez was still only 21 and now looked like he could advance quickly. For better or worse, it turned out. In May, the Rangers promoted him to the AA Frisco Rough Riders of the Texas League and Chavez hit his first real stumbling block. He got into 31 games for Frisco and went 4-3 with a 5.68 ERA in 57 innings. He got hit around and, worse, his command deserted him, resulting in a 27/25 SO/BB rate. More advanced hitters teed off on his straight fastball. But Chavez was again one of the youngest pitchers on the team. He’d obviously been rushed. But if he could stay healthy, there would be more chances.

Texas returned him to Frisco in 2006 and, this time, Chavez was ready. In 38 games, he went 2-5, 4.42 in 59 innings – but with great peripherals (only 54 hits allowed and a dynamic 70/28 SO/BB rate). By late July, he’d earned a promotion to AAA. But Chavez lasted 2 games there before another fateful move came. The Rangers were 4 games out of first in the AL West (they were also 2 games under .500 and sitting in last place), and decided to ship Chavez to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Kip Wells in a last-ditch effort to boost their beleaguered rotation. Of course, Wells was terrible in limited action. Mostly, he was injured – only pitching two games for Texas. Chavez was assigned to the AAA Indianapolis Indians. One phone call away from Pittsburgh. He pitched in 12 games, going 2-1, 4.24, in 17 IP with a 15/9 SO/BB line. Chavez was now consistently sitting at 95-96 mph and prospect evaluators were taking note of his live arm. The Pirates selected him to play for the Grand Canyon Rafters of the Arizona Fall League after the season and , there, Chavez really turned up the heat: 0.64 ERA, 14 IP, 1ER. The Pittsburgh pen was ripe with opportunity and Chavez now appeared closer than ever to his first taste of the majors.

Instead, 2007 tested his patience. Chavez spent the entire season in Indianapolis. He went 3-3, 3.92 in 46 games (and 80.1 IP) with a stout 65/17 SO/BB rate. He was hittable (10.5 H/9) but again showed improved control and used his slider and changeup to collect strikeouts. The Pirates’ decision to bury him in AAA seems indefensible. They were awful, again, losing 94 games. And any losing team willing to inflict dreadful, non-prospects like John “Way Back” Wasdin and Marty McLeary has no excuse for not rolling with a pitcher like Chavez. A guy who might be someone. It was typical of the team’s misguided decision-making. In the fall, Chavez returned to Arizona, this time with the Phoenix Desert Dogs, but struggled to a 6.00 ERA in 11 appearances. If he felt frustrated, you couldn’t blame him.

He began 2008 like the year before: in Indianapolis, this time as the closer. Only now Chavez displayed new resolve and, for the first time, indisputable consistency. He went 2-6, 3.80 in 68.2 innings with only 58 hits allowed and a strong 70/22 SO/BB rate. His 1.17 WHIP was a career-best as were his 14 saves. He was now undeniably ready to contribute in the Pirates’ pen and the team called him up, at last, in August. The results weren’t good: 15 total games, 0-1, 6.60 in 15 IP with a 16/9 SO/BB. But he’d made it. Few 42^nd round picks do. If his fastball lacked movement, it at least had velocity. His other stuff was still fringy but could play with more consistency. To wit: Chavez flashed odd inverted splits (.217 vs. LHP, .395 vs. RHP) that betrayed his minor league numbers (.282 vs. LHP, .177 vs. RHP). But the sample size was small. And Chavez had little left to prove in AAA. It was obvious he might never be a late-inning fireman but he showed the qualities of a future middle reliever. He just needed more time. He again played winter ball with the Gigantes del Cibao. He was now 25 and hopeful his chance to stick would come again.

It did. Chavez made the Pirates out of spring training in 2009 and built on his gains bigtime. He led Pittsburgh (and all major league rookies) in appearances by a country mile, with 73 – totaling 67.1 innings. He went 1-4, 4.01 with a 47/22 SO/BB rate. The numbers were just OK. But at least Pittsburgh was trying to utilize a guy that could help them down the road. Still, Chavez faded down the stretch, likely from overuse ,and his ERA ballooned in the second half (3.19 vs. 4.99). He also generated another insane inverse platoon split, with his high-80s slider proving very tough on lefties (.227/.286/.391) but very hittable (.301/.359/.526) against normal people. A poor GB rate (39.3%) contributed to 11 unsightly home runs. But on a terrible Pirates team he was invaluable.

That is, until the offseason when they traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays for Akinori Iwamura, a Japanese import they hoped would fill their organizational chasm at the keystone. Instead, he deepened it. Chavez, meanwhile, never actually dressed as a Ray, spending barely a month in the organization before the Rays sent him to the Atlanta Braves for flame-throwing closer Rafael Soriano. He’d only become available after surprising the Braves by accepting their arbitration offer. Advantage Rays. Soriano became an All-Star, Iwamura was out of the league in a year and Chavez entered 2010 on his third organization of the offseason.

Chavez had decent peripherals for the Braves but was again susceptible to home runs and big innings. The result was an ugly 3-2, 5.89 line in 36.2 IP despite a quality 29/12 SO/BB rate. He was the seventh man in an excellent bullpen. Forgotten and expendable. Looking to add depth for a playoff push, the Braves dealt him to the Kansas City Royals along with former Jays farmhand Tim Collins and outfielder Gregor Blanco in exchange for Kansas City’s closer, Kyle Farnsworth, and useful spare outfielder Rick Ankiel. Chavez scuffled in Kansas City, going 2-3, 5.88 in 26 IP with a subpar 16/11 SO/BB ratio – including a one-inning, 7-run drubbing in August. The Royals had few obvious relief options and Chavez was still just 27. But he was seen as a throw-in to Atlanta deal and his hold on a major league job was slipping. He needed a strong spring to make the Royals’ Opening Day roster.

It didn’t happen. The Royals promoted an influx of young relievers who proved ready for prime time early and Chavez was one of the first pitchers dismissed from camp. He plunged down the team’s depth chart and spent most of the season closing for the AAA Omaha Storm Chasers. Chavez was effective: 2-4, 3.75 in 57.2 innings, with a quality 54/16 SO/BB ratio and 16 saves – very respectable numbers for the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. When he finally did get a shot in the majors, he was terrible, going 0-0, 10.57 in 7.2 IP, with 12 hits allowed, an 8/5 SO/BB and a ugly 2.22 WHIP. He appeared destined to play out his years finishing games in the high minors for other teams’ top prospects.

At a crossroads in his career, Chavez sought to reinvent himself. He played winter ball in Mexico and worked tirelessly to develop a new pitch: a cutter. The Royals weren’t interested and cut him loose. But the Blue Jays claimed him off waivers in October and got a pleasant surprise. After learning he hadn’t made the Opening Day bullpen, Chavez requested the chance to return to starting. Two months into the experiment, he’s been the Jays’ most consistent AAA starter. Better yet, he acquitted himself well in his Blue Jays debut and appears to have supplanted Brett Cecil as the team’s next go-to starter.

OUTLOOK

Incredibly, Jesse Chavez is now on the verge of returning to the majors to fill the rotation slot vacated by injured Blue Jays’ ace Brandon Morrow. If he’s tabbed, his first start will be first in the majors after 144 appearances in relief.

In Las Vegas, Chavez’s stuff has, perhaps surprisingly, held as he’s been stretched out. In 12 starts, he’s 7-2, 3.84 in 70.1 innings with a very strong 65/15 SO/BB ratio and a 1.12 WHIP. Most significantly, Chavez has limited his walks (1.9/9) more effectively than at any point in his career. He still profiles as a fly-ball pitcher so keeping runners off base is imperative for him. So far, the improvement appears real. He has decent velocity, now sitting between 92-94, and his split-change can be effective when he doesn’t overthrow it. The slider remains somewhat inconsistent, too, but he has a chance at 3 passable pitches when they’re all working.

Speaking frankly, Jesse Chavez is almost certainly not the answer to any long-term vacancy in Toronto. But as a spot starter or seventh man in the bullpen, he seems a likely to contribute more than the Dana Evelands and Jo-Jo Reyeses of staffs past. Toronto deserves credit for allowing him the opportunity to follow his heart. But Chavez who deserves his due most. His success story, so far, is the result of his commitment to the cut fastball – itself a product of his faith in his abilities.

If this isn’t his time, Chavez will still almost certainly return to the Jays’ bullpen at some point this season. When that happens, I’ll be rooting for him. As a 42^nd-round pick for whom perseverance has meant more than even his pitching talents, Jesse Chavez is more like you and I than most players on your favourite team. Here’s hoping if his chance to start doesn’t come here, he’ll find an arm-starved team willing to give him a shot this winter.

STAT SHEET

Jesse Chavez, SP/RP
08/21/83            Bats: R             Throws: R       HT: 6-2          WT: 160
Victorville, California                    College: Riverside Community College
Drafted by Texas in the 42^nd round, 1252^nd overall, of the 2002 MLB Amateur Draft.
Acquired: Selected off waivers October 2011.
Contract Status: Not eligible for arbitration before 2013.
Salary: N/A
Service Time: 2.065

1. Scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten pages, for yr own joy
2. Submissive to everything, open, listening
3. Try never get drunk outside yr own house
4. Be in love with yr life
5. Something that you feel will find its own form
6. Be crazy dumbsaint of the mind
7. Blow as deep as you want to blow
8. Write what you want bottomless from bottom of the mind
9. The unspeakable visions of the individual
10. No time for poetry but exactly what is
11. Visionary tics shivering in the chest
12. In tranced fixation dreaming upon object before you
13. Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition
14. Like Proust be an old teahead of time
15. Telling the true story of the world in interior monolog
16. The jewel center of interest is the eye within the eye
17. Write in recollection and amazement for yourself
18. Work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea
19. Accept loss forever
20. Believe in the holy contour of life
21. Struggle to sketch the flow that already exists intact in mind
22. Dont think of words when you stop but to see picture better
23. Keep track of every day the date emblazoned in yr morning
24. No fear or shame in the dignity of yr experience, language & knowledge
25. Write for the world to read and see yr exact pictures of it
26. Bookmovie is the movie in words, the visual American form
27. In praise of Character in the Bleak inhuman Loneliness
28. Composing wild, undisciplined, pure, coming in from under, crazier the better
29. You’re a Genius all the time
30. Writer-Director of Earthly movies Sponsored & Angeled in Heaven

~ Jack Kerouac, Belief and Technique for Modern Prose