The poet was right, our sight should fast, fluid, and should touch everything, like a river. The ever-fresh eye versus the tired one tells us something important about ourselves.

Great athletes in action are a delight to watch, but when such entertainers became our heroes above all other role models, something ain't right.

His rattling prose style wasn't for everyone but Kerouac's life became a work of art as well, and through the decades he has remained an inspiration for young strivers.

In remote places where nobody else speaks English and your command of the local lingo is weak, it can be tough to remain engaged when you're overwhelmed by the fame of being the only foreigner around.