This collection of essays by esteemed Beat commentators, which was published by Bloomsbury in January 2025, reassesses one of the 20th century’s most emblematic but often misunderstood American writers. Despite amassing a substantial body of influential work and becoming a recognizable icon globally, Kerouac has often suffered critical neglect, and this volume seeks to offer a range of fresh perspectives on his unique artistic output as well as his continuing cultural afterlife.
Through an examination of classic texts like On the Road to more obscure ones like Pic, these essays recalibrate our understanding of the writer by placing his creative output into dialogue with current cultural issues to provide a rethinking of how concerns such as race, gender relations, artificial intelligence, populist rhetoric, and queerness inform his work and its contemporary reception. These essays also examine how the peculiarities of global circulation and social media influence the ongoing cultural appropriation of Kerouac in popular music, literature, and online.
Through these varied approaches, Rethinking Kerouac: Afterlives, Continuities, Reappraisals provides an indispensable account of the continued relevance of both Kerouac the writer and Kerouac the cultural icon in the 21st century.
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“Moving beyond hagiographic portraits of the reluctant ‘King of the Beats,’ this fresh volume of essays grounds Kerouac in the shifting political and cultural background of mid-20th century America. The essays grapple with the writer’s inconsistencies and lay bare some of the recalcitrant myths about the writer and his work.” ―Douglas Field, Professor of American Literature, University of Manchester, UK
“Coming as it does in the wake of the Kerouac centenary, the essays gathered here remind us of the immense, ongoing, and indelible importance Jack Kerouac continues to have on global literature and culture. Rethinking Kerouac is both a celebration of Kerouac’s many achievements as a writer and a reckoning with his status as exemplar of what the editors call “the problematics of mid-century culture.” As such, it is a timely occasion for readers to rethink and reassess Kerouac’s ever-evolving legacy alongside contributions by seasoned and emergent voices in Kerouac Studies.” ―Jean-Christophe Cloutier, Associate Professor of English & Comparative Literature, University of Pennsylvania, USA
“So much has been written about Kerouac by so many scholars that it sometimes feels there is nothing left to say, but this wonderful collection provides many new interpretations, including studies of his lesser-known efforts in screenwriting and his influence on musicians. It is a much-needed critical reappraisal of a complex figure and his divisive work.” ―David S. Wills, Editor of Beatdom Literary Journal
Link to the publisher’s website: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/rethinking-kerouac-9798765105269/
