There's a great piece over at Smithsonian Magazine written by Joyce Johnson called "Remembering Jack Kerouac." Written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the publishing of Kerouac's seminal work On The Road, it contains some real gems:
"Becoming beat had implied a kind of spiritual evolution. But "beatnik" stood for an identity almost anyone could assume (or take off) at will. It seemed to come down to finding a beret or a pair of black stockings and a bongo drum to bang on. Beatniks wanted "kicks"—sex, drugs and alcohol. They were more interested in hard partying than knowing themselves or knowing time. The two ideas, beat and beatnik—one substantive and life-expanding, the other superficial and hedonistic—helped shape the counterculture of the '60s and to this day are confused with each other, not only by Kerouac's detractors but even by some of his most ardent fans."
While I've always preferred Dharma Bums, there's no doubt that On the Road made a much larger impact. It remains relevant today.
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