I consider On The Road sort of holy because it helped change my life as it did to so many others and as it continues to do so. Jack wanted his papers enshrined in a library but they are now in the hands of highly non-literary people more interested in their monetary value than in their literary or cultural value.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Kerouac views his work as spiritually significant due to its life-changing impact, while lamenting that his papers are now treated as financial assets rather than cultural treasures.
- In plain terms
- He values his writing for its personal impact but worries collectors care more about money than meaning.
- What can you take from it?
- Cultural legacy often clashes with commercial valuation.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we preserve art when money drives the market?
- What makes a text holy?
Another view
The quote assumes a binary between literary and monetary value that might not always exist.
More from Jack Kerouac
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond…
Permalink to quote #56 Caringosity killed the Kerouac cat.
Permalink to quote #58 If moderation is a fault, then indifference is a crime.
Permalink to quote #55
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