University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

I read Jack Kerouac’s On the Road as a Penn State undergraduate history major enrolled in English 403: The Beats. Reading the novel prompted me to switch from history to English and, in turn, pursue an M.A. in English at the University of Delaware and a Ph.D. in English at Stony Brook University. What I loved about the experience of first reading this novel (and what so inspired me to pursue a career in English) is the disconnect between the cultural ethos of the novel and the fictionalized realities that are revealed through thoughtful close reading. More specifically, I love that this is a book about a writer who ultimately opts against choosing the youthful glory of the American West and the American road—even though many readers approach this book thinking it serves as a sort of gateway to adventure. Instead, this is a book about a writer who comes to revel in the joy of writing, much like I do as scholar of literature and writing. In other words, what I love about this book is that the process of reading it taught me to always look carefully at what I’m reading because the words on the page have power to surprise readers and enlighten them to the nuances of the human experience in unexpected ways.