Book Review: You're a Genius All The Time: Belief and Technique for Modern Prose

You're a Genius All the Time: Belief and Technique for Modern Prose
By Jack Kerouac
Chronicle Books
Publication date: September 9, 2009
ISBN: 9780811870269

A bit ago I mentioned loving Kerouac's rules of writing. Well, the people at Chronicle heard my praise and finally published his rules, as well as his Essentials of Spontaneous Prose. (At least I like to think it's because of me that they did it.) Although both of Kerouac's writing articles can be found online, I'm quite happy that I have this collection. Plus, when has something being online stopped people from buying books in the past?

The small book is beautifully (and simply) bound. The beginning section (his Belief's and Techniques) is full of excellent and appropriate black and white photographs of Kerouac and his friends doing what they do best - living. The typography is great - fast, bold and lively, just like them. The second half of the book (his Essentials), is simpler, with a basic courier new typewriter font. It's more descriptive, and less spur of the moment. Essentially, it's perfect for what he's saying.

I can't say enough how much I like Kerouac's style. It's crazy and utterly confusing at times, but it's him and I appreciate that. The book is inspiring for any writer, and an essential for any beat fan.

As the introduction states, "Only a genius could reinvent the English sentence, make it long, looped, grammatically suspicious, and become a revered master of the writer's art." So many people have tried to imitate his writing, and yet so many have failed. Because there's only one Kerouac, and likewise, there's only one you. So go out and find your own style, be "submissive to everything, open, listening." And remember..."you're a genius all the time."