The Beat Generation in Mexico City

By peterwdavies On May 1, 2012 · 5 Comments

As part of my project (The MCM Project) to visit every station of the Mexico City Metro and document the surrounding areas with images and written impressions I recently visited the Roma neighbourhood. Roma has a rich history associated with Beat Generation literary figures such as William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac.  I set out to retrace some of their infamous haunts.  Here’s an extract.

‘In 1949, it was a cheap place to live, with a large foreign colony, fabulous whorehouses and restaurants, cockfights and bullfights, and every conceivable diversion. A single man could live well there for two dollars a day.’

William Burroughs on the joys of living in Mexico City.

Ordinarily I pursue an MCM Project visit in a fashion that is largely arbitrary.  Coronary fuelled strides will take me;

North?  South?

East? West?

Every whichaway? (preferred)

Unsystematic, unmethodical, random, unplanned, undirected, casual, indiscriminate, nonspecific, haphazard, stray, erratic, by chance, accidental.

All those apply – if you like.

A whim and a prayer (mangled, I know), follow a hunch,  indulge an inkling.

Today I made a partial exception.

The Roma neighbourhood, adjoining the station, is a former stomping ground of various essential (giving rise) members of the Beat Generation.  Old haunts of William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, among others, punctuate the area.

Today I set out to pay heed to some of those places.  The erraticism of a regular visit inevitably interflowed.

To read the full entry about this station visit click here.

 
 

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5 responses to The Beat Generation in Mexico City

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    Nikki Crane said on January 3, 2013

    Love your writing!

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    peterwdavies said on January 3, 2013

    Thanks Lindsay and Scott for the comments. You’re right, the beats do go on, their works are still very alive.

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    Lindsay Anne Williams said on May 3, 2012

    ….your profile picture…Saaaweet! I’m a huge Kerouac fan and totally want to drive route 66. Mexico City too. More posts!

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    Lindsay Anne Williams said on May 3, 2012

    Okay so I can’t stop looking at this picture…Saaaweet!

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    Scott Hartman said on May 1, 2012

    The Beats go on . . .

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