The Collected Works of Jim Morrison

Poetry, Journals, Transcripts, and Lyrics

Jim Morrison

• Publisher: Harper
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN:
  9780063028975
• eBook ISBN:
  9780063028982
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Music Biographies

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The definitive anthology of Jim Morrison's writings with rare photographs and numerous handwritten excerpts of unpublished and published poetry and lyrics from his 28 privately held notebooks.

You can also hear Jim Morrison's final poetry recording, now available for the first time, on the CD or digital audio edition of this book, at the Village Recorder in West Los Angeles on his twenty-seventh birthday, December 8, 1970. The audio book also includes performances by Patti Smith, Oliver Ray, Liz Phair, Tom Robbins, and others reading Morrison's work. 

Created in collaboration with Jim Morrison's estate and inspired by a posthumously discovered list entitled "Plan for Book," The Collected Works of Jim Morrison is an almost 600-page anthology of the writings of the late poet and iconic Doors' front man. This landmark publication is the definitive opus of Morrison's creative output—and the book he intended to publish. Throughout, a compelling mix of 160 visual components accompanies the text, which includes numerous excerpts from his 28 privately held notebooks—all written in his own hand and published here for the first time—as well as an array of personal images and commentary on the work by Morrison himself.  

This oversized, beautifully produced collectible volume contains a wealth of new material—poetry, writings, lyrics, and audio transcripts of Morrison reading his work. Not only the most comprehensive book of Morrison's work ever published, it is immersive, giving readers insight to the creative process of and offering access to the musings and observations of an artist whom the poet Michael McClure called "one of the finest, clearest spirits of our times."  

This remarkable collector's item includes: 

• Foreword by Tom Robbins; introduction and notes by editor Frank Lisciandro that provide insight to the work; prologue by Anne Morrison Chewning
• Published and unpublished work and a vast selection of notebook writings 
• The transcript, the only photographs in existence, and production notes of Morrison's last poetry recording on his twenty-seventh birthday 
• The Paris notebook, possibly Morrison's final journal, reproduced at full reading size
• Excerpts from notebooks kept during his 1970 Miami trial
• The shooting script and gorgeous color stills from the never-released film HWY
• Complete published and unpublished song lyrics accompanied by numerous drafts in Morrison's hand
• Epilogue: "As I Look Back": a compelling autobiography in poem form 
• Family photographs as well as images of Morrison during his years as a performer

I

Poems and Writings

The Pony Express

The Pony Express carried the mail -

Over hill, over dale, over rough

rugged trails.

And the brave men that carried it didn’t

complain, for they knew they were helping,

their good countries name.

They rode and rode through strong

winds and rain, just to carry the

mail and build up our name.

Over Indian country and great sandy

plains, they carried the mail and shared

our great fame.

May 21, 1954

---

“Horse Latitudes” I wrote when I was in high school. I kept a lot of notebooks through high school and college, and then when I left school, for some dumb reason—maybe it was wise—I threw them all away.

There’s nothing I can think of that I’d rather have in my possession right now than those two or three lost notebooks. I was thinking of being hypnotized or taking sodium pentothal to try to remember, because I wrote in those books night after night. But, maybe, if I’d never thrown them away, I’d never have written anything original—because they were mainly accumulations of things that I’d read or heard, like quotes from books. I think if I’d never gotten rid of them I’d never have been free.²

---

Horse Latitudes

When the still sea conspires an armor

And her sullen and aborted

Currents breed tiny monsters,

True sailing is dead.

Awkward instant

And the first animal is jettisoned,

Legs furiously pumping

Their stiff green gallop,

And heads bob up

Poise

Delicate

Pause

Consent

In mute nostril agony

Carefully refined

And sealed over³

Eyes

He sought exposure, and lived the horror of trying to assemble a myth before a billion dull dry ruthless eyes. Leaving his plane, he strode to the wire fence, against the advice of his agents, to touch hands. Standing close to appeal his invitation for them to admire him w/worship or weapons. The constant unspoken interior knowledge, that his body was target every public second. Charged murderous awareness of beasts. New nerves of sensation flowered on his neck spine garden. When he looked at you, they said, he stripped back your skull. Naturally. For well-wishing admirer smiles easily hide death behind cat teeth. Not paranoia or beyond grave carelessness, but a fine sensuous knowledge of violence in an eternal present.

CYCLOPS. People who resemble primitive lizards have a jewel

within their skull. Called the “pineal gland”, it is located inside

the brain at the juncture of the two hemispheres of cerebellum.

In some this third vestigial eye is still sensitive to light.

The eye ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Publisher’s Note
• Contents
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Prologue
• I. Poems and Writings
• II. Poetry Recording Transcripts
• III. Film Treatment
• IV. Lyrics
• V. Epilogue: As I Look Back
• Notes
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Copyright
• About the Publisher