Slim Brundage
Encyclopedia
Myron Reed "Slim" Brundage (November 29, 1903 – October 18, 1990) was the "founder and janitor" of the College of Complexes
, a radical social center
in Chicago
during the 1950s. It was known as Chicago's Number One "beatnik
bistro
".
Brundage was also a writer and poet closely associated with the Beats. A Hobo
, Wobbly
, Soapboxer, veteran of Bughouse Square and the Dil Pickle Club
, 'little theater' playwright/actor, president emeritus of the Hobo College in the 1930s, housepainter, humorist, and chief architect of the scandalous Beatnik Party during the 1960 elections.
Brundage was also the proprietor of a coffee house called College for Complexes. In 1960 the shop hosted a Beat Convention to nominate a Beat Party candidate for President of the United States. Brundage ran for the nomination himself and though he provided a place to sleep and free food for beatniks from out of town, he did not succeed.
In 1997, Franklin Rosemont
edited a collection entitled From Bughouse Square to the Beat Generation: Selected Ravings of Slim Brundage - Founder & Janitor of the College of Complexes
, published by the Charles H Kerr Company Publishers
as part of its Bughouse Square Series.
He was married to artist Margaret Brundage
(née Johnson) from 1927 to 1939, and Katarine C. Wood from 1940
College of complexes
The College of Complexes is a loosely based organization for speakers and those interested in learning. The name is derived from "a psychiatric term for repressed ideas that compel expression." This organization was founded in Chicago in 1951. According to the group's literature, it claims to be a...
, a radical social center
Social center
Social centers are community spaces. They are buildings which are used for a range of disparate activities, which can be linked only by virtue of being not-for-profit. They might be organizing centers for local activities or they might provide support networks for minority groups such as prisoners...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
during the 1950s. It was known as Chicago's Number One "beatnik
Beatnik
Beatnik was a media stereotype of the 1950s and early 1960s that displayed the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s and violent film images, along with a cartoonish depiction of the real-life people and the spiritual quest in Jack Kerouac's autobiographical...
bistro
Bistro
A bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Home cooking with robust earthy dishes, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet are typical...
".
Brundage was also a writer and poet closely associated with the Beats. A Hobo
Hobo
A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...
, Wobbly
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World is an international union. At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a 1924 split brought on by internal conflict...
, Soapboxer, veteran of Bughouse Square and the Dil Pickle Club
Dil Pickle Club
The Dil Pickle Club or Dill Pickle Club was once a popular Bohemian club in Chicago, Illinois between 1917 and 1935. The Dil Pickle was known as a speakeasy, cabaret and theatre and was influential during the "Chicago Renaissance" as it allowed a forum for free thinkers...
, 'little theater' playwright/actor, president emeritus of the Hobo College in the 1930s, housepainter, humorist, and chief architect of the scandalous Beatnik Party during the 1960 elections.
Brundage was also the proprietor of a coffee house called College for Complexes. In 1960 the shop hosted a Beat Convention to nominate a Beat Party candidate for President of the United States. Brundage ran for the nomination himself and though he provided a place to sleep and free food for beatniks from out of town, he did not succeed.
In 1997, Franklin Rosemont
Franklin Rosemont
Franklin Rosemont was a poet, artist, historian, street speaker, and co-founder of the Chicago Surrealist Group...
edited a collection entitled From Bughouse Square to the Beat Generation: Selected Ravings of Slim Brundage - Founder & Janitor of the College of Complexes
College of complexes
The College of Complexes is a loosely based organization for speakers and those interested in learning. The name is derived from "a psychiatric term for repressed ideas that compel expression." This organization was founded in Chicago in 1951. According to the group's literature, it claims to be a...
, published by the Charles H Kerr Company Publishers
Charles H Kerr Company Publishers
Charles H. Kerr Publishing Company was established in Chicago, Illinois in 1886 by Charles Hope Kerr, originally to promote his Unitarian and vegetarian views. As Kerr's personal interests moved from religion to Marxism and he became interested in the labor movement, the company's publications took...
as part of its Bughouse Square Series.
He was married to artist Margaret Brundage
Margaret Brundage
Margaret Brundage, born Margaret Hedda Johnson was an American illustrator and painter who is remembered chiefly for having illustrated the pulp magazine Weird Tales...
(née Johnson) from 1927 to 1939, and Katarine C. Wood from 1940
External links
- Slim Brundage Papers at the Newberry Library