Beat It

Jack Kerouac was born on this day in 1922.  He died fairly young, in 1969--he essentially drank himself to death.

Kerouac is probably the most famous name, and face, of the Beat Generation.  I've read bits and pieces of his stuff--including his most famous work, On The Road, and The Dharma Bums--and I wonder if his reputation isn't based more on who he is than what he wrote. (As Truman Capote once said of Kerouac, fairly or not, "that's not writing, that's typing.")

It was quite a picturesque life (if you ignore the drinking himself to death stuff).  He was a handsome guy with some talent, no doubt.  But then came his road trip with Neal Cassady, and his relationships with women and men, not to mention all the drinking, smoking and drugs.  And the idea of "spontaneous writing" (always exaggerated) and putting it all down on a long roll of paper.  All very romantic.

He was already a symbol of cool in his life, and after his death became irresistible for numerous filmmakers. I feel like I've seen him portrayed in at least ten films. He wrote like musicians play jazz.  But, let's face it, a lot of jazz is forgettable.  Will Kerouac be around fifty years from now?  Maybe a better question is do people still read him today?