Jack's Book by Barry Gifford

Jack's Book

An Oral Biography of Jack Kerouac

Barry Gifford, Lawrence Lee

Penguin Publishing Group · Print & ebook · April 24, 2012

"A fascinating literary and historical document, the most insightful look at the Beat Generation." —Dan Wakefield, author of New York in the Fifties and Going All the Way First published in 1978, Jack's Book gives us an intimate look into the life and times of the "King of the Beats." Through the words of the close friends, lovers, artists, and drinking buddies who survived him, writers Barry Gifford and Lawrence Lee recount Jack Kerouac's story, from his childhood in Lowell, Massachusetts, to his tragic end in Florida at the age of forty-seven.

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Who it’s for
Kerouac’s life comes into focus through the people who knew him, in an intimate oral biography.
Themes
Jack Kerouac’s life, The Beat Generation, Oral biography
Genres
Writers' Lives

About this book

"A fascinating literary and historical document, the most insightful look at the Beat Generation." —Dan Wakefield, author of New York in the Fifties and Going All the Way First published in 1978, Jack's Book gives us an intimate look into the life and times of the "King of the Beats."

Continue reading

Through the words of the close friends, lovers, artists, and drinking buddies who survived him, writers Barry Gifford and Lawrence Lee recount Jack Kerouac's story, from his childhood in Lowell, Massachusetts, to his tragic end in Florida at the age of forty-seven. Including anecdotes from an eclectic list of well-known figures such as Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Gore Vidal, as well as Kerouac's ordinary acquaintances, this groundbreaking oral biography—the first of its kind—presents us with a remarkably insightful portrait of an American legend and the spirit of a generation.

Many Voices, One Life

Kerouac’s life comes into focus through the people who knew him, in an intimate oral biography.

Come here for

  • A literary portrait shaped by friends, lovers, artists, and drinking companions
  • A view of Kerouac alongside the spirit of his generation

Expect

  • Anecdotes from both well-known figures and ordinary acquaintances
  • A life told through the memories of those who survived him

Where it sits

Writers' Lives100%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Writers' Lives
  • Writing as a Career
  • American Lit Crit
Authors
Barry Gifford, Lawrence Lee
Publisher
Penguin Publishing Group
Published
April 24, 2012
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Jack Kerouac’s life · The Beat Generation · Oral biography
Reading lane
Writers' Lives