"Holy flowers floating in the air, were all these tired faces in the dawn of Jazz America."
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Quote collection
Jack Kerouac quotes (page 18 of 23)
460 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Down in Denver, all I did was die."
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"I can't think of anybody...who knows the sum and substance of what I know and feel and cry about in my secret self all the time when I don't feel strong, the sorrows of time and personality, and can therefore on all levels make it all the way with me"
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"That's the story of my life rich or poor and mostly poor and truly poor."
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"The words are clear as in the reflection of the world on the water. Therefore write the Word at once, everywhere, from now till your hand is paralyzed, for THERE will be your work for GOD, since you can not work for God in other ways, and would not, & don't know how, or bend that way, from habit, & from talent in the use & signification & arrangement of the Word."
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"Oh my God, sociability is just a big smile and a big smile is nothing but teeth, I wish I could just stay up here and rest and be kind." But somebody brought up some wine and that started me off."
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"It was the work of the quiet mountains, this torrent of purity at my feet."
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"Why did I allow myself to be bored ever in the past and to compensate for it got high or drunk or rages or all the tricks people have because they want anything but serene understanding of just what there is, which is after all so much."
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"What a horror it would have been if the world was real, because if the world was real, it would be immortal."
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"But there's no joy at all, people say "Oh well he's drunk and happy let him sleep it off"--The poor drunkard is *crying*--He's crying for his mother and father and great brother and great friend, he's crying for help. (p.111)"
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"It's hard to explain and best thing to do is not be false."
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"...most of the time we were alone and mixing up our souls ever more and ever more till it would be terribly hard to say good-by."
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"Oftentimes an originator of new language forms is called 'pretentious' by jealous talents. But it ain’t whatcha write, it’s the way atcha write it."
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"Besides, all my New York friends were in the negative, nightmare position of putting down society and giving their tired bookish or political or psychoanalytical reasons, but Dean just raced in society, eager for bread and love."
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"I am young now and can look upon my body and soul with pride. But it will be mangled soon, and later it will begin to disintegrate, and then I shall die, and die conclusively. How can we face such a fact, and not live in fear?"
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"Rather, I think one should write, as nearly as possible, as if he were the first person on earth and was humbly and sincerly putting on paper that which he saw and experienced and loved and lost; what his passing thoughts were and his sorrows and desires."
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""What do you want out of life?" I asked, and I used to ask that all the time of girls."
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"We turned at a dozen paces, for love is a duel, and looked at each other for the last time."
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"And with joy you realize for the first time "Thinking's just like not thinking — So I don't have to think any more"."
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"Anybody doesn't like these pitchers don't like potry, see? Anybody don't like potry go home see television shots of big hatted cowboys being tolerated by kind horses. Robert Frank, Swiss, unobtrusive, nice, with that little camera that he raises and snaps with one hand he sucked a sad poem right out of America onto film, taking rank among the poets of the world. To Robert Frank I now give this message: You got eyes."
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