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　　He was the man who inspired the Beat Generation — and nearly half a century after his death Jack Kerouac is still receiving grateful letters from his fans.

　　Most letters are sent in the post to his last home in St Petersburg, Florida — and the mail box in the front yard is full to bursting. But others are delivered by hand, put into the front door or on the doorstep.

　　They usually thank the author of On The Road for inspiring them to travel and be independent. “You remind me to stay true to who you are and to nurture the wanderlust gene in all of us,” reads one letter, handwritten by ‘Cindy’ on butterfly and flower-decorated paper. She adds, “I hope you’re writing, unrestrained, with a shot and a beer.” Another, signed ‘Friend of Jack’, reads, “I prefer to think of myself as a free spirit and a person who follows a path of her own choosing. You have always been my inspiration.”

　　Kerouac, the creator of iconic characters such as Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, died at a St Petersburg hospital in 1969, at the age of 47. His home, where he was living with his mother Gabrielle and his wife Stella, has become a pilgrimage (瞻仰) destination for hundreds of fans every year.

　　Kerouac rocketed to fame at the age of 35, with the publication of On the Road in 1957. But after becoming famous and the figurehead of a counter-culture, he struggled with that fame and claimed that he only wanted people to read his books.

　　Kerouac died just 12 years after On the Road was published. He was suffering from cirrhosis following years of excessive drinking (酗酒) — largely brought on by his love-hate relationship with fame.