The Estate of Jack Kerouac, meanwhile, has enjoyed handsome returns. In his abbreviated life, Kerouac struggled mightily. The 1982 25th anniversary of On The Road received much publicity-and hefty sales, too. After his death, several key biographers were published: Anne Charters’ Kerouac (1974) and Dennis McNally’s Desolate Angel (1979). He was disgusted by the violence committed in the name of “the Beats.” He also supported the war in Vietnam. Unlike his friend Allen Ginsberg, Kerouac did not adjust well to the turbulent Sixties. Decades later, Massapequa resident Patrick Fenton commemorated that sad era with a radio play, Jack’s Last Call, as the novelist dwelled on his troubled relationship with his only daughter as he prepared to depart for a new life in Florida.Īt the time of his death in 1969 at age 47, Kerouac had grown weary of the spotlight. Alas, the man could never overcome his drinking problem. A star athlete in high school, Kerouac liked the fact that the house was located near a high school football field. Kerouac, with his mother in tow, moved to Northport. In the early 1960s, the basically reclusive novelist was having a hard time dealing with his status as “King of the Beats.” Young men would knock on his door, only to be disappointed by the tired, middle-aged man staring back at them. First, the centennial of Ulysses, then The Wasteland and now that of Jack Kerouac (1922-1969), the famed novelist of On The Road, a prolific author who briefly called Long Island home.
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