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Kerouac Selected Letters #2
Selected Letters, 1957-1969
When Viking published the first volume of Jack Kerouac's letters in 1995, it was considered a major addition to Kerouac scholarship. The early correspondence portended the uninhibited and spontaneous prose style that would later become the author's trademark. In the second and final volume of this life-in-letters, Ann Charters, renowned Kerouac biographer and editor of The Portable Jack Kerouac, features selected letters that illuminate the latter years of this inimitable writer--the years of fame, alcohol, and disillusionment.
Written between 1957, the year of the publication of On the Road, and two days before his death in 1969 at the age of forty-seven, Kerouac's letters tell his own story through his candid and voluminous correspondence to friends and confidants--from Malcolm Cowley, Allen Ginsberg, and Gary Snyder to Joyce Johnson, John Clellon Holmes and Sterling Lord. In his letters, Kerouac explores his development as a writer, as well as revealing how the onslaught of publicity and criticism after the publication of On the Road in 1957 nearly destroyed him. Offering unparalleled insights into the mind and life of a giant of the American literary landscape, Jack Kerouac: Selected Letters 1957-1969 is a major addition to the understanding of the artist and his work.
Written between 1957, the year of the publication of On the Road, and two days before his death in 1969 at the age of forty-seven, Kerouac's letters tell his own story through his candid and voluminous correspondence to friends and confidants--from Malcolm Cowley, Allen Ginsberg, and Gary Snyder to Joyce Johnson, John Clellon Holmes and Sterling Lord. In his letters, Kerouac explores his development as a writer, as well as revealing how the onslaught of publicity and criticism after the publication of On the Road in 1957 nearly destroyed him. Offering unparalleled insights into the mind and life of a giant of the American literary landscape, Jack Kerouac: Selected Letters 1957-1969 is a major addition to the understanding of the artist and his work.
608 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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365 people want to read
About the author
Jack Kerouac
362 books11.6k followersJean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac, known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation.
Of French-Canadian ancestry, Kerouac was raised in a French-speaking home in Lowell, Massachusetts. He "learned English at age six and spoke with a marked accent into his late teens." During World War II, he served in the United States Merchant Marine; he completed his first novel at the time, which was published more than 40 years after his death. His first published book was The Town and the City (1950), and he achieved widespread fame and notoriety with his second, On the Road, in 1957. It made him a beat icon, and he went on to publish 12 more novels and numerous poetry volumes.
Kerouac is recognized for his style of stream of consciousness spontaneous prose. Thematically, his work covers topics such as his Catholic spirituality, jazz, travel, promiscuity, life in New York City, Buddhism, drugs, and poverty. He became an underground celebrity and, with other Beats, a progenitor of the hippie movement, although he remained antagonistic toward some of its politically radical elements. He has a lasting legacy, greatly influencing many of the cultural icons of the 1960s, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Jerry Garcia and The Doors.
In 1969, at the age of 47, Kerouac died from an abdominal hemorrhage caused by a lifetime of heavy drinking. Since then, his literary prestige has grown, and several previously unseen works have been published.
Of French-Canadian ancestry, Kerouac was raised in a French-speaking home in Lowell, Massachusetts. He "learned English at age six and spoke with a marked accent into his late teens." During World War II, he served in the United States Merchant Marine; he completed his first novel at the time, which was published more than 40 years after his death. His first published book was The Town and the City (1950), and he achieved widespread fame and notoriety with his second, On the Road, in 1957. It made him a beat icon, and he went on to publish 12 more novels and numerous poetry volumes.
Kerouac is recognized for his style of stream of consciousness spontaneous prose. Thematically, his work covers topics such as his Catholic spirituality, jazz, travel, promiscuity, life in New York City, Buddhism, drugs, and poverty. He became an underground celebrity and, with other Beats, a progenitor of the hippie movement, although he remained antagonistic toward some of its politically radical elements. He has a lasting legacy, greatly influencing many of the cultural icons of the 1960s, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Jerry Garcia and The Doors.
In 1969, at the age of 47, Kerouac died from an abdominal hemorrhage caused by a lifetime of heavy drinking. Since then, his literary prestige has grown, and several previously unseen works have been published.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 22, 2014
I'm a bit overwhelmed by this book right now to write a proper review so will mull over it on the weekend and do it proper justice next week.
In short, five (want to give six) stars for Jack's letters. One star docked because Charters' editing comments, while extremely interesting and helpful in some areas, were a bit over the top and sometimes annoying. For example, why does she need to quote things from the letters themselves just before we read them? I found this rather annoying. Secondly, some of her footnotes I think we could have done without. There were a few footnotes in which I found the 'link' between Jack's letter prose and her 'analysis' rather tenuous actually. More anon.
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In short, five (want to give six) stars for Jack's letters. One star docked because Charters' editing comments, while extremely interesting and helpful in some areas, were a bit over the top and sometimes annoying. For example, why does she need to quote things from the letters themselves just before we read them? I found this rather annoying. Secondly, some of her footnotes I think we could have done without. There were a few footnotes in which I found the 'link' between Jack's letter prose and her 'analysis' rather tenuous actually. More anon.
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January 7, 2009
Jack's letters after the time On The Road is published. Reading his letters you realize the extent of his drinking, the strange relationship he had with his mother, and other oddities.
May 7, 2008
Only for the devoted, the descent of Ti Jean into paranoia and the bottle. Post OtR publication, Jack struggles with fame, lack of serious fortune, the changing attitudes of his friends, where Gabrielle wants to live next, and he struggles against alcoholism to complete Dr. Sax, Satori in Paris and Pic. Also dealing with the horror DT session of Big Sur.
But there are sardonically hilarious moments to be read between the letters, like the way Jack owed Allen $400 since pre OtR publication days, and despite the fact that Allen is starving to death in Paris at the beat hotel, it takes JK months/years to get the $ to him.
Another fun fact is that apparently there was to be a film version of OtR staring Brando that never ended up happening. All things considered, that's probably for the best-
An in depth look at a tragic figure, and the sadder half of his life, in his own words. But I guess we beat junkies really can't get enough of this stuff, and thus owe debts of gratitude to Ann C and the others who did the compilation work...
But there are sardonically hilarious moments to be read between the letters, like the way Jack owed Allen $400 since pre OtR publication days, and despite the fact that Allen is starving to death in Paris at the beat hotel, it takes JK months/years to get the $ to him.
Another fun fact is that apparently there was to be a film version of OtR staring Brando that never ended up happening. All things considered, that's probably for the best-
An in depth look at a tragic figure, and the sadder half of his life, in his own words. But I guess we beat junkies really can't get enough of this stuff, and thus owe debts of gratitude to Ann C and the others who did the compilation work...
Currently reading
July 24, 2007These guys lived in some crazy times. The letters are amazing. I wish I could write to my friends like that and receive letters from my friends like that. Hint hint!
June 12, 2021
This can be a really repetitious book. It bugged me a bit, but mostly the repetition is fine. My distaste occurred for one or two reasons:
1) Latter-day Jack, though still with some beautiful thoughts & writing, is not the Jack we loved. He's a bitter alcoholic bitch, & I don't really feel he was being true to himself.
2) Towards the end, I was just reading the book too much - making the repetition & bitterness an extra hard pill to swallow. It gave me a headache. Though this second point is obviously my fault.
Otherwise, you know, it's great, it's Jack. Sometime later this year I'll probably read Memory Babe (the biography, not Jack's unfinished manuscript, which funnily enough I'll probably read in the next month also), but reading both volumes of his letters certainly gives quite a(n auto)biography itself.
Also, it's worth mentioning I wouldn't be surprised if I'm too petrified & lazy to type up the little sticky-noted sections in my copy of this book for a year or two. It's just too much. So many great ideas & insights in this book.
1) Latter-day Jack, though still with some beautiful thoughts & writing, is not the Jack we loved. He's a bitter alcoholic bitch, & I don't really feel he was being true to himself.
2) Towards the end, I was just reading the book too much - making the repetition & bitterness an extra hard pill to swallow. It gave me a headache. Though this second point is obviously my fault.
Otherwise, you know, it's great, it's Jack. Sometime later this year I'll probably read Memory Babe (the biography, not Jack's unfinished manuscript, which funnily enough I'll probably read in the next month also), but reading both volumes of his letters certainly gives quite a(n auto)biography itself.
Also, it's worth mentioning I wouldn't be surprised if I'm too petrified & lazy to type up the little sticky-noted sections in my copy of this book for a year or two. It's just too much. So many great ideas & insights in this book.
October 23, 2015
This one didn't engage me as much as the first set of letters did (pre-1957). This one being more about his struggling writing career and alcoholic desent, I was interest more in the first book that revealed his optimism in life, love of friends and plans for his future. I appreciate Ann Charters' commentary between letters. It helps put puzzle pieces together and give context.
June 5, 2017
Ends not with a bang, but a whimper. In my old hometown of St. Petersburg (while I lived there), he's beat up in a bar, weeks later starts internal bleeding and is dead the same day. How depressing.
The letters reveal the sometimes boring complexity of the life of an author, juggling erratic money flows and coming to the realization that the beat lifestyle might just be for youngsters.
The letters reveal the sometimes boring complexity of the life of an author, juggling erratic money flows and coming to the realization that the beat lifestyle might just be for youngsters.
February 18, 2008
Second Volume...also great!
December 20, 2017
Another excellent biographical portrait of Kerouac in letters. A tragic end to an under appreciated career.
June 13, 2024
These letters, written between 1957 (the year On The Road was published) and 1969 (the year of Kerouac's death at age forty-seven), these letters give a rather intimate glimpse into Kerouac's mercurial and decidedly alcoholic personality. Among the many themes and threads that run through this collection are his constant insecurity about money and about receiving appropriate accolades for his contribution to American literature, his suspicions and criticisms of those who were at one time his closest friends and allies and who would probably have remained such had he let them (I'm thinking here of Ginsburg, Snyder, and Burroughs), his close bond with his mother and their inability to find a place to live that suited them for more than a year or so, his unhappiness with the left turn taken by the "Beat movement" he spawned and its subsequent cultural heirs, his anti-Semitic paranoia, and the list could be expanded. The edition includes extensive annotations from the editor, primarily in the form of introductory notes to individual letters or sets of letters, and it is arranged chronologically. I found my sympathies moving steadily away from Kerouac and toward those who attempted to befriend and help this most difficult and self-destructive man, not the least of whom I would name Sterling Lord, Ti-Jean's long-time literary agent.
April 26, 2025
Excellent selection of letters that go from Jack's success with "on the road" to his death in 1969. Its funny how, despite all the books being sold, Jack never seemed to make much money. Also interesting - how much the NYC critics (and people like Capote) trashed his books, despite their obvious literary merits.
Jack got disrespected because he wasn't writing about "the right topics" and didn't know "the right people". He wasn't a leftist, and he didn't live in Manhattan. And he wasn't writing about things "the industry" cared about. The New Yorker never came calling.
Its hard to believe now, but in the 60s people believed what they read in the newspapers, and a small circle of critics (mostly in NYC) could make or break any book. As shown by the letters, Jack got a little bitter as he churned out good work only to have it shot down.
The alcoholism didn't help. Seems like every good American author, born before 1930, had to struggle with it. It killed some, cut others career short, and for some - it had no affect.
Jack got disrespected because he wasn't writing about "the right topics" and didn't know "the right people". He wasn't a leftist, and he didn't live in Manhattan. And he wasn't writing about things "the industry" cared about. The New Yorker never came calling.
Its hard to believe now, but in the 60s people believed what they read in the newspapers, and a small circle of critics (mostly in NYC) could make or break any book. As shown by the letters, Jack got a little bitter as he churned out good work only to have it shot down.
The alcoholism didn't help. Seems like every good American author, born before 1930, had to struggle with it. It killed some, cut others career short, and for some - it had no affect.
August 15, 2023
I can't really give this an honest star rating, as it is only Selected Letters of Jack Kerouac. However, I must say reading Kerouac's letters makes a young man like myself want to write! He has such a unique & fun style that really is, truly, KEROUAC. I also will say from the narrative perspective of this work Ann Charters is clearly an expert on JK and her added excerpts are critical for a complete understanding of the text... ok, back to the narrative perspective, these letters start right when On The Road is published and fame starts to hit Kerouac and you get to ride shotgun all the way through a writer's, beatnik's, dharma bum's, life as he continues to write, take harsh criticism, balance drinking and family (mainly his mother), and living basically paycheck to royalty-check. There is gold in here and I would definitely recommend it to any fan of the Beat Writers but also to any young aspiring writer, as you get to see the harsh reality of living of your work.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews