Jack Kerouac Essay -- Writer Author Jack Kerouac Biography Essays

hole KerouacIn the beginning jackfruit Kerouac lived a angered and exciting life outside the realm ofeveryday normal American life. Though On the Road and The Dharma Bums were Kerouacs only commercial sucesses, he was a man who changed American literature and pop-culture. Kerouac virtu totallyy created a life-style use to life, art, literature, music, and poe campaign. When his movement grew out of his control, he came to despise it, and died l integrityly on the an early(a)(prenominal) side of what he once loved and cherished above all else. But, on the way he created a style of piece of music which feature elements of all the great writers, with speed, common language, real people, and the reality of his life. In a public junior high give lessons he began to read feverishly. In English classes heflourished, but socially he did not. Impressed late by Mark Twain and Jack London,Kerouac created his own imaginary world, which he recorded in hand-written newspapers. These led to his first novel Jack Kerouac Explores the Merrimack,which he wrote in a notebook at the age of twelve (Clark, 22).Skipping classes at Lowell High School, in Lowell Massachusetts, Kerouac wasexposed to the work of Thomas Wolfe by a fellow student Sammy Sampas. They encouraged musical composition in each other, and Kerouac began writing seriously. Since the Kerouacs could not afford college, a local priest suggested he try for a football scholarship (Clark, 32). He was offered two one from Colombia University and the other from Boston College. Kerouac opted for Columbia and first spent one year, by the invite of the university, at the Horace Mann School for Boys. Here he didnt fit in with the abundant prep- tame crowd, but he was exposed to Hemmingway (Clark, 37). Here, also, in a schoolpublication his work was first printed (Clark, 39).After two years of school at Columbia Kerouac made a decision that would change his life. He always believed he learned more outside of the clas sroom than in and so after a series of arguments with his coach, he quit the team. non long after he dropped out of school as well. He served briefly in the navy, and drinking heavily, was discharged on psychiatric grounds(Clark, 52). Upon his pass on home he got a job with as a merchant Marine. When he wasnt working he spent his time with Allen Ginsberg, Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs, and Neal Cass... ...ectric...). Kerouac, though, was a fusty at heart andavoided the psychedelic drug movement (Clark, 193). This eventually to Kerouac worlddespised by even those whos careers he began, and lives he had changed. In one meetingone of the Merry Pranksters had covered a couch with a flag. Ginsberg watched Kerouacslowly fold it up and marveled sadly... history was... out of Jacks hands now, (Clark,201).Neal Cassady died of a drug overdose in Mexico in 1968. Not long after, JackKerouac died of an abdominal hemorrhage and cirrhosis of the liver, he had literallydrunk himself to dea th. He was only 47. He died a lonely death. A sad outcome to the sadwriter who gave so much of himself in his belief that writing was his duty on earth.Works CitedClark, Tom. Jack Kerouac A Biography. Paragon House.Jack Kerouac. 3 Oct.1998 <http//www.charm.net/brooklyn/People/JackKerouac.html>Kerouac, Jack. Big Sur. New York Viking Press, 1959. --- The Dharma Bums. New York Viking Press, 1958.--- On the Road. New York Viking Press, 1957.Wolfe, Tom. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. New York Bantam Books, 1968.