Writer making most of Kerouc House stay
Suleika Jaouad remembers the first time she read “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac. “For me, it was one of those seminal books you read when you’re 12 or 13,” the writer said. “It was one of the first books I read where I was like, ‘I want to do this.’ ”
The New York native is well on her way, becoming a blogger, an Emmy-winning columnist for The New York Times and now the latest resident of the Kerouac House in Orlando’s College Park neighborhood. The home, once owned by Beat Generation author Jack Kerouac, houses several writers a year, giving them time to work on projects.
The residency has included some major and welcome changes from Jaouad’s daily routine.
“Coming from New York City, this feels like a huge palatial house,” she said. “It’s pretty rare to be in a place where you don’t have all the adult responsibilities and to get lost in your work … I’m learning what you can do when you don’t have interruptions.”
Jaouad, 29, was following her dream of becoming a foreign war correspondent when she was diagnosed with cancer at 22. She decided to begin reporting on the story of her treatment in “Life, Interrupted,” a column she wrote for The New York Times.
“In a way, it’s like I’ve done a different kind of war reporting,” she said.
The column included video segments that garnered Jaouad a News & Documentary Emmy Award. “Part of the idea when I pitched it was I wanted it to have some multimedia component,” she said.
Jaouad believes video is part of the reality of the future of writing, but she had a specific reason for wanting something watchable with this project.
“I knew for myself how challenging it was to read at times when you’re not feeling well,” she said. “I wanted to reach as broad an audience as possible, understanding the limitations that people experience when they’re sick.”
Jaouad beat her illness and has decided to continue blending memoir with reporting. “I’m only interested in writing memoir if it extends beyond my own life … when it speaks to or helps elucidate some bigger point than myself,” she said.
The book Jaouad is working on in Orlando follows the journey of her recovery. “What was surprising to me when I was done with my treatment was that the hardest part of the cancer experience began once it was over,” she said.
After she was well, she took a long road trip, meeting other people who had faced great adversity. Writing about that brings her right back to her love for “On the Road,” Kerouac’s own tale of a journey through America.
“It feels really cool to be writing a road narrative in Jack Kerouac’s old house,” she said.
To welcome Jaouad to Orlando, a potluck will be held 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Kerouac House, 1418 Clouser Ave., Orlando. Admission is free, but guests are asked to bring food or drinks. Contact kerouacproject@gmail.com for details.