The Buddhist Years by Jack Kerouac

A brand new volume of previously unpublished writings from the archives reflecting Jack Kerouac’s Buddhist thinking

Signed Preorders include a hand-numbered certificate of authenticity signed by Jim Sampas, Literary Executor of the Jack Kerouac Estate.

Preorders are currently scheduled to ship Spring 2025, approximately 3–4 weeks prior to availability in bookstores.

From a young age Kerouac was a spiritual thinker and questioner, and he always considered himself a spiritual writer. Buddhism gave more meaning to Jack’s work as a writer: he was working not for personal accomplishment and glory but for human betterment. And Buddhism justified his lifestyle: with its vision of the material world as empty and illusory, he was free to do what he wanted.

This collection shows Jack at his earnest, soulful best. The writing is consistently and wonderfully Kerouacian: it is honest, reflective, heartfelt, and revealing, with great characterizations amid his self-exploration as he wrestles with his consciousness, desperate for belief.