Defending Kerouac

Thank you, John M. Wilson, for the eloquent rebuttal to George Will’s truly offensive column on Jack Kerouac and the freedom of spirit he embodied (“In Defense of Kerouac,” Sept. 11).

Sadly, I have read more Will than Kerouac in my lifetime. And while Will’s work is often enlightening, I couldn’t help but feel attacked by his bitter piece.

What mean-spiritedness is it in Will that causes him to delight in what he perceives to be the “cruel” fate of yesterday’s radicals? Newsweek should reprint Wilson’s piece so readers could be reminded that Will’s perspective is far from universal.

J. TODD HARRIS

Santa Monica