The Death of David Kammerer
On the 80th anniversary of a crucial moment in Beat history.
Today marks the 80th anniversary of David Kammerer’s death, a central event in the birth of the Beat Generation. It has been written about hundreds of times, but what really happened on August 14, 1944?
That is the topic of a 15,000-word essay we have just published on the Beatdom website. If you are looking for a quick, easy read, then this is definitely not it. It is a complex story with many uncertainties, and to tell it honestly requires a careful analysis of many sources and the consideration of various versions of events.
It is impossible to say for sure what happened that night but hopefully by looking into a wide variety of sources and dismissing utterly wrong ones that have been too often cited in the past, we can move towards a better understanding of why Lucien Carr stabbed David Kammerer.
The essay can be read here.
It's an excellent read. There's so much to the Carr/Kammerer story than people realise.