Jack Kerouac, arguably the most influential post war writer in america,died a lonely,terrible alcoholic death 40 years ago today in St Petersburg ,Florida,after throwing up his bleeding inards for hours.He was 47.The child of French Canadian parents,The author of numerous novels, short fiction, diaries and poetry, he is today ,of course, best remembered for his seminal novel, on the road,which defined him and helped to kill him.That novel, two years ago re-issued as its "original scroll'{the original scroll itself, a roll of teletype paper which James Irsay of the colts bought for over 2 million dollars} is far more detailed, sexually explicit and whole than the truncated version unleashed on the public in 1957.Kerouac reputation faded as he slid further into alcoholic madness.He became an anti semite, a right wing flag waver, and detested the "movement' many believed he had spawned[though its origins are more complicated,certainly].Kerouac was always of a certain conservative bent, he was deeply,profoundly influenced by his Roman Catholicism[despite his Buddhist leanings in the 1950's,which included two books about buddism,three if you count the dharma bums]His diaries and letters reveal someone else, shy, gentle, horrified by violence[his wwII merchant marine vessel was sunk while he was ashore, all hands lost, which haunted him endlessly] someone who despite his reputation, crafted slowly with many revisions. He was always looking out for the street people, the bum the wino, the dope fiend the homeless guy,the guy with a shot and a beer at the bar playing the sixth race at belmont. More so then many of his contemporaries [who despite being born working class, made sure they avoided it]Kerouac was in many ways the same kid who left Lowell ,Mass.for a scholarship at Columbia University,the same kid who had played high school football against Leonard Bernstein[they were friends.small world], and run into his alter ego, Neal Cassady years after. Cassady's influence on Jack, as jack shared his autodidact world with Neal and Neal revealed the underside of the dream to Jack, the junkies, hookers, pimps gamblers and drunks that made up the road. Criminally under appreciated in his own life, Kerouac's prose is deceptively simple, and delicate.His vision of salvation through suffering, not by overcoming it but by accepting that it is suffering, is only matched in vision by Dostoevsky.Yes, Fyodor Dostoevsky who until the 1930's was considered a provincial Russian hack writer, a reactionary and anti semite overwhelmed with guilt and religious themes. Sound Familiar. Now, Dostoevsky was certainly a better writer[as Blake was a better poet than Whitman, without denigrating eithers talent],it's the message that I find interesting in comparison to Kerouac. Perhaps one day Kerouacs literary reputation will meet the heights it deserves.Until then, we have thse odd, wild, hopeful serious deadly funny books. The last to read should be Big Sur, which chronicles hKerouac's decent into alcholic madness. Having actually had the D.T's myself, I can tell you the description is pitch perfect, and scary as h-e-l-l. The alcoholic hangover is rendered in all of it's terror[once I heard an alcoholic hangover as this:You wake up and are afraid you are going to die. Ten minutes later you are afraid you are going to live}Big Sur is probably his last great work. Read the On The Road-Dharma Bums-Lonesome Traveler-Tristessa-Desolation Angels books first. Try the poems, especially mexico city blues.Then go for the diaries.It's worth the time, and the rewards are many.Rest in peace, Ti` Jean[little jean or Jack, his nickname which is on his tombstone].And thanks for the gifts.
