| Jack Kerouac's Buddhism and the American Search for Enlightenment: The Diamond Vow Contributor(s): Haynes, Sarah (Author) |
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ISBN: 1350134759 ISBN-13: 9781350134751 Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic OUR PRICE: $109.25 Product Type: Hardcover Published: July 2025 This item may be ordered no more than 25 days prior to its publication date of July 10, 2025 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Religion | Buddhism - General (see Also Philosophy - Buddhist) - Literary Criticism | American - General |
| Physical Information: 224 pages |
| Themes: - Religious Orientation - Buddhist |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Sarah Haynes provides a detailed analysis of Jack Kerouac's unpublished diaries and Buddhist writing alongside the Buddhism presented in his published works. Kerouac's involvement with Buddhism is traditionally accepted to have occurred between 1953-1958. However, his unpublished diaries reveal that he continued to write about Buddhism until at least 1967. Haynes' comparative analysis of Kerouac's unpublished documents provides a richer and more complete understanding of Kerouac's Buddhist practice. She reflects on the differences between the themes in Kerouac's published and unpublished Buddhism, arguing that Kerouac's Buddhism is based in his search for stability, which is contradictory to the messages in his published works. Kerouac's unpublished writings reveal his inability to actualize the lifestyle he promoted. Despite this conflict, however, the impact and legacy of Kerouac's religious vision on the development of Buddhism in America is significant. |