Jack Kerouac

1. Shotwell’s Opened in 1891, Shotwell is one of San Francisco’s few remaining bars that fascinates both history buffs and beer lovers. The restaurant’s pinball machines, pool tables and warm ambience makes it one of the best local hangouts in the city. Shotwell also takes pride of its wide selection of local and international beers to cater the preferences of its customers. Image Source:…

Janis Joplin, who was born on January 19, 1943, grew up in a typical tiny town in Texas during the 1940s and often felt like an outcast. Her craving for the heartfelt blues was a response to her isolation. She relocated to San Francisco, a city known as a sanctuary for uniqueness, in the mid-1960s. At this venue, she honed her mesmerizing vocals and stage presence to the point where she became a member of the rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company. But she still had her insecurities, and…

1. List the four characteristics of herding/nomadic groups brought up in the Crash Course Video. ­ They aren’t Jack Kerouac, they don’t produce manufactured goods, they live close to nature and harsh conditions, and they are more egalitarian. Complete the following chart: What Why Migration They move around according to the weather. They move in order to feed their animals. Trade They would trade with the near by settlers. They traded in order to…

A poster from the early 1950’s titled The Sex Impulse and Achievement reads, “The sex instinct in a boy or man makes him want to act, dare, possess, strive…when controlled it gives ENERGY, ENDURANCE, FITNESS.” The poster features the image of track stars jumping over hurdles which is the perfect allusion to represent American society’s view of sex in the 1950’s and prior. Sex was seen as something necessary but dirty and taboo; sex was something you kept behind closed doors. The unclean aspect…

What is the YMCA? The YMCA is a non profit organization with the mission statement that “Every day, we work side-by-side with our neighbors to make sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.” (The Y). The YMCA also known as the “Y” has many different strengths that help the community thrive and grow together. The “Y” is in over 10,000 different neighborhoods around the nation with a goal to deliver a positive change. (The Y). The…

Allen Ginsberg began writing “Howl” circa 1954, a time when homosexuality (and sexuality in general), profanity, vulgarity, and illicit drug use were so tabu that even writing about such subjects was considered illegal and warranted arrest. Ginsberg’s poem should be read with the understanding of how progressive, revealing, and dangerous it was within the contexts of society. It shattered walls, gave a voice to the vagabonds, free-spirits, artists, and erotic people of not only America but the…

This year’s English course has been more challenging than usual, I am generally accustomed to doing well enough without really trying or learning in English courses. It’s possible that I may have succeeded in improving in my writing skills so far this year; I better understand how to use sentence length, my claims are stronger than they were previously, and my grade appears to be improving. My OCE essays were completed in multiple drafts. From very rough, to slightly less rough, and then to…

Jack Kerouac wrote On The Road to display his love and devotion for the beauties of the open road. Ernest Hemingway wrote Death in the Afternoon to show his respect towards the ceremonies and traditions of spanish bullfighting. Now you may be wondering what any of this has to do with Charles Fishman’s book The Big Thirst. The reason I bring up these authors is because like many others they decided to write about something they loved and wanted to devote their time to show this appreciation by…

did. “I was twenty-three, a year younger than Chris McCandless when he walked into the Alaska bush. My reasoning, if one can call it that, was inflamed by the scattershot passions of youth and a literary diet overly rich in the works of Nietzsche, Kerouac, and John Menlove Edwards, the latter a deeply troubled writer and psychiatrist who, before putting an end to his life with a cyanide capsule in 1958, had been one of the preeminent British rock climbers of the day. Edwards regarded climbing as…

The absolute genius of Allen Ginsberg doesn’t need to be sought for long before it is found in his poems. Classics such as The Blue Angel, My Sad Self, War Profit Litany, Nagasaki Days, Paterson, To Aunt Rose, and Sphincter all display the masterful craft Ginsberg has honed. Yet, in order for one to understand his work, one must examine his life. Born in Newark, NJ in 1926 to a Jewish family, which greatly influenced his life. His father was a gifted scholar and amateur poet. He frequently…