In honor of Jack Kerouac

[tigereye]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050214/ap_en_ot/kerouac_scroll


if this has already been examined and cheered for, my apologies.

[joeybee12]

1. Did you know that the NY Times had TWO reviews of "On The Road"?

The first one was pretty glowing, but then the editor of this section saw that, and wrote his own damning piece of what is now considered a classic.

Oh yeah, and Time magazine said "Silent Spring" was based on bad science.

My point? Journalists know nothing!

[tigereye]

2. well Casablanca bombed when it first came out

I just thought it was cool that On the Road could be viewed in giant original scroll form!

[Richardo]

3. I heard that story on NPR last night. I'd love to see it.

Maybe when it comes to Austin - I think that's about as close as it's going to get.

I especially like that Kerouac invoked the 'The dog ate it' excuse for the last five pages :)

[Joe Power]

9. 2008 is a long time to wait

But I'll be making a pilgrimage to Austin myself.

[On the Road]

4. God, I Love That Book

I had "OntheRoad" as a former screen name. Maybe I'll read it again.

The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"
-----JK

[fishwax]

5. that's my favorite quote from the book, too

the only people for me are the mad ones ... i find myself saying that a lot. :D

[tigereye]

6. you have to love the language!

:) nothing else, well, maybe Ginsburg et al, sounded like that at the time.

[fishwax]

7. Dammit!

I'm going to visit Iowa City/U of Iowa on the 13th. Looks like I'll miss the scroll by a day. :( Might have to rearrange the trip schedule. That would be cool to see.

[tigereye]

10. who would have thought it would be in Iowa

well, wait, that is a great lit school. I'm guessing that is where his papers are housed?

[fishwax]

12. I'm not sure where (or if) they're housed

There was actually a huge legal battle about the bulk of his papers, beginning with the death of his daughter in the late 90s. She had wanted them to be donated to the library at UC-Berkeley, but there were lawsuits involved that weren't resolved before her death. The executor of the Kerouac estate then offered them for purchase to (I believe) the New York Public Library, but I'm not sure if the purchase was ever made.

The scroll in question was one of several items auctioned off by the estate, and is now in the private collection of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, who has been good enough to send the scroll on tour for several years. That's how it wound up at Iowa. The full tour schedule is available here:

http://www.jackkerouac.com/about/ontheroad.htm

[tigereye]

13. thanks fishwax!

[jdots]

8. Truman Capote did Kerouac's meanest review

" thats not writing,it's typing " Truman didn't know that Kerouac wrote " On the Road " long hand on a roll of paper because there was no type writer around at the time.

[tigereye]

11. well Capote was a more traditional type of writer

and notoriously bitchy, as well, right?