I saw this about 20 years ago in an exhibition at the Denver Library. I'd wondered how they really knew who the real people behind the characters were, it turns out that Kerouac didn't change any names at first so it's right in the manuscript.
I'd heard about it from a friend in the mid-80s, this friend was an aspiring writer and he mentioned OTR but then was musing about his new word processor typewriter, saying that he felt like the need to physically change pages added breaks to his writing process and he was worried that with the basically infinite page on the word processor it would be too easy to write crap. I wish I had a way to look this guy up and get his take on writing today.
I used to be a hardcore beatnik collector in my college days, basically gobbling up any of books, pamphlets, first editions from everyone on the bus or even mildly associated. But as I got older, I realized how much of it was really just reactionary circle jerking without much meaningful substance, save for Ferlinghetti and Ginsberg at times. The rest of it, especially Kerouac, was basically just documenting a special time and place in niche west coast history, and the real heroes I've come to recognize were the characters like Neal Cassady who's writings I also had. But it's like people today who had parasocial relationships with pre-Covid Dimes Square. Pretty weird to make Cumtown your entire personality, but those people exist. Probably some dork with 2010s hair like Mark Pincus or Dennis Crowley will buy this.
I highly recommend John Ventimiglia's audiobook reading of the Original Scroll. It's my favorite reading of any audiobook. He perfectly captures all of the tone and characters and rhythm.
I feel like this book has aged badly, particularly the parts about encounters with very young girls. It's also very repetitive and far too long, in my opinion.
It's difficult to me to see what people thought was so great about the beatniks. All of Kerouac basically consists of "look how much fun you can have in a trusting society by tearing it down."
I can't say Kerouac does much for me as a writer, but he's interesting as a pop cultural phenomenon.
If you're interested in 'On the Road', the Beats or the Hippies, you'll enjoy this documentary:
Magic Trip (2011)
The documentary uses the 16 mm color footage shot by Kesey and the Merry Pranksters during their 1964 cross-country bus trip in the Furthur bus. The hyperkinetic [Neal] Cassady is frequently seen driving the bus, jabbering, and sitting next to a sign that boasts, "Neal gets things done
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[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 39.5 ms ] threadI noticed the lack of glue and yellowed tape. Actually it consists of strips of paper that are 12 foot long, taped together.
I'd heard about it from a friend in the mid-80s, this friend was an aspiring writer and he mentioned OTR but then was musing about his new word processor typewriter, saying that he felt like the need to physically change pages added breaks to his writing process and he was worried that with the basically infinite page on the word processor it would be too easy to write crap. I wish I had a way to look this guy up and get his take on writing today.
- Truman Capote on Kerouac's work.
(I love Kerouac...)
Legendary
If you're interested in 'On the Road', the Beats or the Hippies, you'll enjoy this documentary:
Trailer: https://youtube.com/watch?v=6q8qlsx8tdA