3 ms·

We shouldn't be dismissive but Kerouac's alcoholism is not unrelated to his writing. There's a price to prizing experience so highly.

• andscoop 5y ago
  I’m intrigued. I think I understand what you’re saying but I’ve never seen it framed like this. > there is a price for prizing experience so highly Is there somewhere I can read more about this?
  • kragen 5y ago
    There's a great book about it called On The Road. I can also recommend Ginsberg's Howl, which Kerouac gave its title: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-P2fILsLH8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-P2fILsLH8 > I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness > Starving hysterical naked
  • slibhb 5y ago
    These men (they're usually men) are romantic heroes. Kerouac, Watts, Jim Morrison, Dylan Thomas, etc. I admire them and what they created but they usually die young, often of alcohol or drugs and they tend to leave a fair amount of destruction in their wake. Kerouac was self-conscious about what he was doing: > I shambled after as usual as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!" Not the kind of man you can imagine growing old with a dog at his feet.
• rufugee 5y ago
  I think the problem is distinguishing which experiences cost what ahead of living them, and finding alternatives (which, among other things, religion is or poses as). For example, mundane day-to-day hopelessness is very costly as well, which often leads people to equally costly alcoholism…