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Jack Kerouac ( March 12, 1922 - October 21, 1969) was an American novelist, writer, poet, artist, and one of the most prominent members of the Beat Generation. His writings, most of which were autobiographical, revolved most of the time around his own adventures throughout the world, and also around some of his own ponderings and reflections that ensued during the course of his life.Most of his life was spent in the vast landscapes of America and with the people that live among them. Faced with a fast-changing America, Kerouac sought to find his place in this climate and tried to effect a change, bringing him to reject the values of the fifties that celebrated growing consumerism and the new suburban lifestyle, among many other things. His writings actually often reflect a profound desire to break free from society's mold and to try to find a deeper meaning to life, which eventually led him to start experimenting with different drugs (he once tried psilocybin with Timothy Leary), to study spiritual teachings such as those offered by Buddhism, and to also embark on numerous trips throughout the world. His books are also sometimes credited as having contributed in sparking the counterculture of the 1960sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around.
1 Biography
1.1 Early years
Born Jean-Louis Lebris Kerouac, in Lowell, MassachusettsMerrimack River in downtown Lowell Lowell is a city located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 105,167. It and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County 6. Founded as a planned manufactur, to a family of Franco-AmericanFranco-American is a former brand name of the Campbell Soup Company for a line of gravy products. The original Franco-American Food Company was founded by a French immigrant, Alphonse Biardot, and his two sons in 1886 in Jersey City, New Jersey. The succes. His parents, Leo-Alcide Kerouac and Gabrielle-Ange Lévesque, were native of QuebecQuebec ( In Detail) ( In Detail) National Motto: Je me souviens (I remember CapitalLargest city Quebec City Montreal Area Total % fresh water 2nd largest(1st lgst prov. 1 542 056 km² 11,5% Population Total (2004) Density Ranked 2nd 7 509 928 5,43/km² Admi. Like many other Quebecers of their generation, the Lévesques and Kerouacs emigrated to New EnglandThis article is about the region in the United States of America. For other uses, see New England (disambiguation . The New England region of the United States is located in the northeastern corner of the country. Boston is its business and cultural cente to find employment. Jack didn't start to learn English before the age of six. At home, he and his family spoke Quebec FrenchQuebec French or Quebecois French is a dialect of French spoken by the great majority of people in Quebec. It developed out of 17th and 18th century French and in many respects it resembles it more closely than contemporary France French, although it also. At an early age, he was profoundly marked by the death of his elder brother Gérard, later prompting him to write the book Visions of Gerard.
Later, his athletic prowess led him to become a star on his local football team, and this achievement earned him a scholarship to Columbia UniversityColumbia University officially known as Columbia University in the City of New York is a private institution of higher education. It is one of the world's foremost research universities and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1754 under a royal charter in New YorkSkyline, with Statue of Liberty New York, New York" redirects here. For alternate meanings, see New York, New York (disambiguation). New York — officially named City of New York and often called New York City to distinguish it from the state of New York,. It was in New York that Kerouac met the people whom he was to journey around the world with, and return to write about: the so-called Beat Generation, which included people like Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady and William S. Burroughs. After breaking his leg and arguing with his coach, the football scholarship did not pan out, so Kerouac left to join the Merchant Marine.
