Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha

Jack Kerouac

Sep 2008 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Danny Campbell

About this audiobook

In the mid-1950s, Jack Kerouac, a lifelong Catholic, became fascinated withBuddhism, an interest that had a profound impact on his ideas of spirituality andlater found expression in books such as Mexico City Blues and The Dharma Bums.Originally written in 1955 and now published for the first time in book form, WakeUp is Kerouac’s retelling of the life of Prince Siddartha Gotama, who as a youngman abandoned his wealthy family and comfortable home for a lifelong searchfor Enlightenment. Distilled from a wide variety of canonical scriptures, Wake Upserves as both a penetrating account of the Buddha’s life and a concise primer onthe principal teachings of Buddhism.

About the author

Jack Kerouac (1922-1969), the central figure of the Beat Generation, was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1922 and died in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1969. Among his many novels are On the Road, The Dharma Bums, Big Sur, and Visions of Cody.

Danny Campbell’s acting credits include the Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Utah Shakespearean Festival, Stage West, and the Mint Theatre in NYC. He is also a company member of The Independent Shakespeare Company in Los Angeles, has appeared in numerous commercials, and is currently an Adjunct Faculty member at Santa Monica College.