Cacoethes Scribendi - Matrix vol. 10 no. 3-4

[Johannes]

???

Is it a story? Is it a poem? Why that title?

Sounds very interesting.

Anybody got information on this one?

 

[the only good poet]

with a title like that i'd say it's a poem. apparently it's a mixture of greek and latin and means something like an incurable compulsion to write!

i looked it up.

kerouac took his revenge on kenneth rexroth by giving him the surname Cacoethes in the Dharma Bums.

when i first saw the word, my thought was - italian composer.

 

[bright]

to me it means: writers with bad(shit) ethics

..then again, i didnt look it up.

 

[the only good poet]

to me it means: writers with bad(shit) ethics

exactly, and that's probably how CB used it.

 

[Johannes]

Interesting.

I found the following definition in german, translated it:

"Bad habit of writing (Juvenal, Satire 7) - meaning an inner (Juvenal: incurably) obligation to write."

--> http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_lateinischer_Redewendungen

 

[the only good poet]

kerouac meant it derogatorily. CB might have, too - ie. someone who pumps out the words. or possibly he was reflecting upon himself? foolish conjecture. no doubt someone here will enlighten us to the story or poem with the aforementioned title.

 

[cirerita]

it's an early short story. it means something like "the unavoidable urge to write"

 

[hanzpolilla]

but where is????
early short story?!!!!!!!
sounds real good!

 

[mjp]

Here. Courtesy of David in another thread.

 

[HarryC13]

Here. Courtesy of David in another thread.

Have I mentioned lately how you guys never fail to amaze me? Thank you for some good reading material before today's afternoon nap ...

 

[pichon64]

Excellent. Thanks David, thanks mjp.

 

[zobraks]

Collected in Absence of the Hero.