Jack Kerouac

Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends

Jack Kerouac, or as he liked to call himself, Jean Louis Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet active during the mid 20th century, best known for his book On the Road, which brought him an astounding amount of critical prestige. A pioneer of the Beat Generation, Kerouac is considered a literary iconoclast alongside his two close friends and fellow writers William S Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg. His writing centers around a method of spontaneous prose, covering topics such as drugs, excessive drinking, Buddhism, travel, poetry, jazz, and sex, and with the popularity and renown of On the Road, Jack became a celebrity overnight, not that he was exactly thrilled by it. Now, I will say that Kerouac’s notoriety has only grown over the years, and that is evident by the fact that today, every single one of his books are in print, including The Town and the City, On the Road, Doctor Sax, the Dharma Bums, Mexico City Blues, The Subterraneans, Desolation Angels, Visions of Cody, The Sea Is My Brother, and Big Sur…an unbelievable accomplishment for a writer of any standing. Still, you can’t help but wonder, what is the true reality behind Jack Kerouac’s inspiration? Most of his creations are semi-autobiographical, and a lot of his life was spent in and out of poverty, not to mention that he was an accessory to murder (don’t worry we’ll get to that). And like most writers of this generation, Jack had a shit personal life, making his way through three wives, one daughter he swore wasn’t his until a paternity test proved it so, and mood swings that would make even the most hormonal woman wonder what the hell was going on. There is a lot to Kerouac…much more than I ever anticipated, and I am so excited to spend episode 24 of Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends, exploring this crazy bastards life with you all.