2008 Woodie Awards
Kerouac revisited
Joseph Froemming
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: Intermission
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Book Review
Jack Kerouac's agent and publishers sat on a manuscript he wrote on a roll of Chinese paper taped together and spun up for six years that would revolutionize pop culture and introduce the world to the "Beat" culture.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of that screed, whose original title "Beat Generation" was changed to the now famous "On the Road."
In the late 1940s, Kerouac had befriended many unusual people while hanging around the University of Columbia. These social misfits, who where to play a big role in his life and writing, were Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs and Neal Cassady.
It was Cassady who inspired Kerouac the most. The ex-convict from Colorado could charm anyone he met. It was this friendship that inspired the 26-year-old Kerouac to travel across the United States in beat up cars, buses and hitchhiking.
For a few years, Kerouac and Ginsberg followed Cassady everywhere from Colorado to San Francisco. His spontaneous actions and unpredictable behavior would eventually become the norm for the "Beat Generation."
Their travels took them to California, New Orleans to visit Burroughs, New York to visit Ginsberg and finally, Mexico, where Neal abandoned an ill Jack at Burroughs' new home.
Soon after his adventures with Neal came to an end, Kerouac decided to write non-stop, fueled by coffee and Benzedrine, about his wild times on the road with his friends.
His writing style was also inspired by Cassady, whose letters to Kerouac and Ginsberg were very long, non-stop rants detailing every detail of everything he encountered or experienced. This would lead to Kerouac's "Spontaneous Prose" style that would also inspire Hunter S. Thompson's "Gonzo Journalism."
"On the Road" was a controversial book when it was released. Ginsberg had experienced a mild version of similar problems a year earlier with his publication of his poem "Howl," which was also partially about and inspired by Cassady.
Jack Kerouac's agent and publishers sat on a manuscript he wrote on a roll of Chinese paper taped together and spun up for six years that would revolutionize pop culture and introduce the world to the "Beat" culture.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of that screed, whose original title "Beat Generation" was changed to the now famous "On the Road."
In the late 1940s, Kerouac had befriended many unusual people while hanging around the University of Columbia. These social misfits, who where to play a big role in his life and writing, were Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs and Neal Cassady.
It was Cassady who inspired Kerouac the most. The ex-convict from Colorado could charm anyone he met. It was this friendship that inspired the 26-year-old Kerouac to travel across the United States in beat up cars, buses and hitchhiking.
For a few years, Kerouac and Ginsberg followed Cassady everywhere from Colorado to San Francisco. His spontaneous actions and unpredictable behavior would eventually become the norm for the "Beat Generation."
Their travels took them to California, New Orleans to visit Burroughs, New York to visit Ginsberg and finally, Mexico, where Neal abandoned an ill Jack at Burroughs' new home.
Soon after his adventures with Neal came to an end, Kerouac decided to write non-stop, fueled by coffee and Benzedrine, about his wild times on the road with his friends.
His writing style was also inspired by Cassady, whose letters to Kerouac and Ginsberg were very long, non-stop rants detailing every detail of everything he encountered or experienced. This would lead to Kerouac's "Spontaneous Prose" style that would also inspire Hunter S. Thompson's "Gonzo Journalism."
"On the Road" was a controversial book when it was released. Ginsberg had experienced a mild version of similar problems a year earlier with his publication of his poem "Howl," which was also partially about and inspired by Cassady.