Jean-Louis "Jack" Kerouac (pronounced /ˈkɛruːæk/, /ˈkɛrɵæk/; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969) was a Canadian-American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast, and alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation.[2] Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing covering topics such as Catholic spirituality, jazz, promiscuity, Buddhism, drugs, poverty, and travel. His writings have inspired other writers, including Ken Kesey, Bo