When considering American Literature in the 20th century, a few specific movements come to mind, one of which being the Beat Generation. While relatively short-lived compared to other examples, the Beats was a time that particularly stood out due to its long-lasting effects on American (and even global) popular culture. Its rebellious and experimental trappings are most notably demonstrated by author and poet Jack Kerouac, who traveled a complicated road filled with tragedy, success, death, and a bottle.

Jean-Louis Lebris (better known as Jack) de Kerouac was born March 12, 1922, in the mill city of Lowell, Massachusetts to French-Canadian parents, though he would rarely return to his hometown after reaching adulthood. Kerouac was one of several children, yet his older brother Gerard would have the greatest impact on his life. Having died of Rheumatic Fever at the age of nine, Gerard was held in saint-like regard by those who knew him. His early death was a true injustice in the eyes of his brother. How could such a young, innocent, and kind kid die so young? Why did his brother have to leave in this manner? This event would go on to influence his 1963 novel Visions of Gerard.

Though much of Kerouac’s childhood was spent reading pulp heroes such as “The Shadow” (which would inspire his 1959 novel Doctor Sax), he soon began to discover the worlds of Homer, Proust, and Thoreau with the aid of the bookish Sammy Sampas. This, coupled with Kerouac’s Catholic upbringing, would influence his writing overall. However, in his youth, he was also known for his athleticism. A running back for the Lowell High School football team, Kerouac was provided with scholarships to Boston College, Notre Dame, and Columbia University. At first attending Horace Mann School, he would then go to Columbia University upon earning enough credits.. Here, he would meet lifelong friends Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs. Kerouac, along with those he met at Columbia, would become some of the most significant writers of the 20th century.

During his time at Columbia, the United States would enter the Second World War. During this period, Kerouac would enlist in the Merchant Marines and United States Army Reserves. While in the Merchant Marines, he would make his first attempt at writing a novel with The Sea is my Brother, which was not published until 2011. However, due to his hatred of service and rebellious nature, he would later be discharged on psychiatric grounds. Upon returning from service, he would make numerous attempts at writing, having dropped out of Columbia entirely by this point. 

During this time, Kerouac would be arrested for his role in disposing of evidence regarding the murder of David Kammerer. Kammerer, who had been stalking Kerouac’s friend Lucien Carr since he was a teenager, was stabbed to death during a violent encounter between the two. While most accounts tend to paint Kammerer as a violent individual obsessed with Carr, later accounts hint that his image as an obsessive pedophile, even the idea that he was gay at all, might have been made up. Disposing of the body in the Hudson River, Carr then went to Kerouac and had him dispose of the knife and Kammerer’s glasses. However, after receiving advice from William S. Burroughs (a mutual friend of Carr, Kerouac, and Kammerer) Carr confessed to the crime. While the authorities initially didn’t believe him, they soon found Kammerer’s body and arrested him, Kerouac, and Burroughs (Kerouac and Burroughs as accessories to murder). Kerouac would go free after marrying his at the time girlfriend Edie Parker, whose parents paid for the bail.Burroughs simply got out via his rich family. Carr, however, wasn’t so lucky and would proceed to spend two years in prison. Kerouac and Burroughs would later collaborate on the novel And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks, which covered the events surrounding the murder. However, the novel wasn’t published until 2008. 

After a few rough starts at putting out a novel, Kerouac would finally find success with his 1957 breakthrough novel On the Road. His most significant undertaking at this point, it was here that he came into his own both stylistically and thematically. Chronicling a road trip he had taken with friend Neal Cassady, the book’s spontaneous stream of consciousness style is one of its better know aspects, along with its vivid depictions of sex and drug use, and the overall rebellious nature of the main characters. Kerouac draws from several personal figures for the characters in this novel, providing pseudonyms for all of them. Burroughs becomes “Old Bull Lee”, Ginsberg as “Carl0 Marx”, Cassady as “Dean Moriarty”, and Kerouac himself as “Sal Paradise”. The novel is now widely regarded as one of his best works, if not one of the most significant novels of the 20th century. 

As a result of the new burgeoning “Beat Movement”, Kerouac, along with Burroughs and Ginsberg, became international celebrities (Burroughs for his novel Naked Lunch and Ginsberg for Howl). The resulting “beatnik” subculture that emerged as a result of the movement (which Kerouac did not hold in high esteem) began to worship these new titans of literature like gods. By the 60s, this gave way to the hippie subculture. Kerouac, however, disliked this newfound attention he was receiving. As the years went by, he began to dive deeper and deeper into drinking. This took a great toll on his writing career, his output decreasing significantly as a result. His last television appearance was on Firing Line, hosted by conservative media figure William F. Buckley Jr., discussing 60s counterculture. The panel paints a sad picture of the once-great author: a disheveled husk of a man who didn’t follow the road as he once did. A man completely consumed by the bottle. During an earlier interview with Steven Allen, who made sure to show respect towards Kerouac, an ever-present sense of aggression and hostility is seen throughout the panel with Buckley. Kerouac would die on October 20, 1969, in St. Petersburg, Florida from internal hemorrhage. He was writing a final novel about his father’s printing shop in Lowell.

Kerouac’s legacy would, however, live on through his friends and confidants. Ginsberg and Burroughs would live on for another 28 years, promoting his work and legacy. Ginsberg would even go on to found the “Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics” at Naropa University in 1974 in honor of his deceased friend. The number of artists and celebrities influenced by Kerouac’s work is also plentiful, including musicians like Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Tom Waits, The Beatles, and The Doors, along with writers like Hunter S. Thompson and Ken Kesey. Though his influence was far reaching, it is also worth mentioning his flaws, specifically his homophobia. Kerouac, despite his friendship with Burroughs and Ginsberg (who were known for their relationships with men) was blatantly homophobic. This is made even stranger by the fact that he himself also slept with men on occasion. He was also, despite his Catholic upbringing, very interested in Buddhism and Eastern religion overall. He was specifically interested in the concept of the Dharma (or the inherent nature of reality) and would even go on to write a biography of the Buddha, titled Wake Up: a Life of the Buddha in 1955. To sum it all up, the road that led Kerouac to this state is a complicated one. A road filled with tragedy, success, death, and a bottle. You can visit him if you want. He’s over in the Edson Cemetery in Lowell Massachusetts. Pay a visit, leave an offering. Or, just read his works. Either way, he might inspire you from beyond the grave.