Who said “All of life is a foreign country.”?

Verified

Jack Kerouac. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceLetter to John Clellon Holmes (24 June 1949), published in The Beat Vision: A Primary Sourcebook (1987) edited by Arthur Knight and Kit Knight, page 93.

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Authors A–Z
“All of life is a foreign country.”
— Jack Kerouac
VerifiedLetter to John Clellon Holmes (24 June 1949), published in The Beat Vision: A Primary Sourcebook (1987) edited by Arthur Knight and Kit Knight, page 93. · evidenceLife and Living

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Letter to John Clellon Holmes (24 June 1949), published in The Beat Vision: A Primary Sourcebook (1987) edited by Arthur Knight and Kit Knight, page 93..

APA

Kerouac, J. (n.d.). All of life is a foreign country. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/26750-all-of-life-is-a-foreign-country/

MLA

Kerouac, Jack. “All of life is a foreign country.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/26750-all-of-life-is-a-foreign-country/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Kerouac, Jack. “All of life is a foreign country.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/26750-all-of-life-is-a-foreign-country/.

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More quotes by Jack Kerouac

“It is not my fault that certain so-called bohemian elements have found in my writings something to hang their peculiar beatnik theories on.”
VerifiedThe New York Journal-American (8 Dec 1960) · evidenceDetails & citeBohemia
“I don't know, I don't care, and it doesn't make any difference!”
Apathy
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