New York: Farrar, Strauss and Company, 1963. First edition. Presentation copy with the publisher's bookplate, with the printed message "This book is sent with the compliments of the Author" and Kerouac's typewritten message "who says Hullo Justin." Justin Brierly had mentored Neal Cassady during his teenage years and later became acquainted with Kerouac and Ginsberg as well. A Near Fine copy in Very Good+ dust jacket. Dust jacket with some chipping to corners and to head and tail of spine. Toning to bookplate from the adhesive, which has also caused some offsetting to the upper pastedown and the following blank.

In Visions of Gerard, Kerouac reflects on his memories of his older brother, who died of rheumatic fever at the age of nine (Kerouac was just four at the time). He also reflects on his childhood in the working-class town of Lowell, Massachusetts; on his Catholic upringing and the Buddhist philosophy he found later in life; and on his relationship with his mother, Gabrielle. Visions of Gerard was the tenth book Kerouac published as a part of his Duluoz Legend – the autobiographical series which includes, most famously, On the Road – but is the earliest within the chronology of the series.

This copy is notable for its association with Justin W. Brierly (1905 - 1985), an educator from Denver, Colorado who orbited the Beat circle for decades and appears pseudonymously in several of Kerouac's novels. Brierly first became acquainted with a future member of the Beat circle in 1941, when he began to mentor the then-fifteen-year-old Neal Cassaday. Brierly helped Cassaday gain admission to high school, helped him find work, and tried to keep him out of trouble, though Cassaday would eventually return to petty theft and end up incarcerated. Writing to Brierly from the Colorado State Reformatory in October of 1944, Cassady credited his mentor with introducing him to psychology, strenghtening his character ("Truly the most necessary of all you’ve given me"), and cultivating his "jaunty manner and ready wit, which is so apparent in my conversation can be largely checked back to you."

In 1946, Brierly was introduced to Kerouac and Ginsberg through Haldon Chase, another young Beat figure from Denver whom Brierly had also mentored. Brierly later reviewed Kerouac's first book, The Town and the City (1950), for the Denver Post, and organized a book signing for Kerouac to celebrate the novel's publication. He was eventually written into several of Kerouac's novels, including On the Road (as "Denver D. Doll"), Book of Dreams ("Manley Mannerly"), and Visions of Cody ("Justin G. Mannerly"). Near Fine in Very Good + dust jacket. (Item #8061)