My Experience With Kerouac

To read literature from well known writers is one thing, to learn their life and struggles is another. I guess a key question I tend to ask is why? Why did they choose to write this? Why did this writing pertain to their life in a way I may not understand?

I learned this first hand when studying Jack Kerouac’s writings in my Zen and the Art of Nature Writing course. As beautiful as his poetry and novels are, I found myself wanting more from them. When I learned about his struggle with alcoholism and his journey to enlightenment, it gave his writings a whole new perspective. To know his work is great, but to understand why he wrote is profound.

I am so inspired by all the revolutionary works that were birthed from the Beat Generation. Specifically, Jack Kerouac’s novel Drama Bums reigned as a favorite of mine. Below is an piece from an essay I wrote comparing an excerpt from Kerouac’s book, along with Gary Snyder’s Drama Rain. By understanding Snyder and Kerouac’s life stories, it gave me the ability to connect their writings in a a more tangible way.