First Person People

So I started reading a bit of Kerouac today after I found ‘On the Road’ for £2 in a charity bookshop; it had a brief biography in the introduction and some bits about Neal Cassady, Ginsberg et al. Having read that and coupled with my usual doses of HST and Buk I have to say I’m concerned. These lads were some serious drinkers and drug abusers so you have to be worried for your own health should you find yourself entertaining them as heroes or even perhaps admiring their writing, since in all cases it was fairly interlinked with their lifestyles. I like a drink and there have been times in my life where I’ve had to calm it down, most know I like a smoke and that will probably be an issue I deal with for the rest of my life, I’ve smoked like others breathe air for a good many years, but not so much anymore. I guess it’s a fear that I like writing from the first person and that perhaps it is only with the drink, drugs and insanity that it begins to be interesting. The fear comes from the pain, suffering and early death that is likely to ensue – I don’t have the constitution of a Hank or a Hunter – but hey, if it makes for good literature maybe that makes it ok. But I doubt it.
We’ll see I guess, my writing yesterday was shocking and today I'm writing dry. Back to Kerouac - see where this road goes, other than alcoholic ulcers and renal failure.

... Updating it after a slow and painful read I'm no reviewer but come on, Down and out in Paris and London it was not, and no Factotum either.