Beatific Souls: Jack Kerouac's On The Road

Beatific Souls: Jack Kerouac's On The Road

Beatific Souls is a meticulously researched and obvious labor of love from Isaac Gewirtz, who details the creative processes that Beat author Kerouac went through in the 40's and 50's to produce his literary masterpiece On The Road (1957). Dr. Gewirtz, curator of the Berg Collection of English and American Literature at the NY Public Library, (and who recently oversaw an exhibition at the NYPL on Kerouac, which he previewed here at Greenwich Library in March, 2007) used previously unseen journal entries, first draft pages, photos and original art by Kerouac to give the reader a sense of what the author went through in constantly rewriting and revising his seminal work. Also included are insights into Kerouac's involvement with Buddhism, his attempt to meld the style and tone of Jazz music in his writing style, how art and literature were seen as connected to the creative force of the writer and artist, and much more. For an examination of an artist's creative odyssey, the roadblocks and frustrations encountered, and to fully appreciate the work that goes into producing any great literature or art, Beatific Soul makes a perfect vehicle for the audience.
-Ed