Monday, March 12, 2007

Jack Kerouac: On the Road at Fifty


Jack Kerouac's birthday again already. 2007 is a big year for his legacy because it's the fiftieth anniversary of the first printing of On the Road. Viking is set to release an unexpurgated edition based on the "holy scroll" manuscript.

Seems like yesterday that I was driving around the USA with my sister Linda on the twenty-fifth anniversary, from East to West Coast and back again in the summer of 1982.



This year the long-planned movie version is finally underway, to be produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by Walter Salles. As of now, it's supposed to be released in 2009.


Odd photo of Edie Parker from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, who married Kerouac in 1944 and divorced him in 1945. They remained friends and he visited Michigan upon occasion. Locals say he drank at the Rustic Cabins -- 15209 N. Kercheval Avenue -- and ate at an earlier incarnation of the Wooden Nickel (now renamed Mack Daddy's) -- 18584 Mack Ave.



Kerouac's legend continues to grow. It just takes a while.

Last year's post: http://eriklerouge.blogspot.com/2006/03/jack-kerouac-and-beat-generation-today.html



Today's Rune: Partnership.

Birthdays: Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Elaine de Kooning, Jack Kerouac, Edward Albee, Al Jarreau.

Bon Voyage!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great stuff Erik. Don't know where you find the time or the material. I enjoy it. Thank you
MW

JR's Thumbprints said...

Interesting J.K. facts involving Michigan sites. I've never been a big fan of his writing. "The Subterraneans"--what the hell kind of writing was that?

Susan Miller said...

Very informative, Erik. You have an incredible dedication to his memory.

Danny Tagalog said...

Erik, I'll catch up with Jack soon, But right now I'm listening to The Marble Index by Nico for the first time (mp3stream via Cope) - sends shivers upon shivers down my spine. I'm going to buy it first thing tomorrow. Cheers. What an end to the elpee!

Thanks for this.

Danny Tagalog said...

Re: Nico/Blue Orchids,

I just found this. Must be around 1981-82

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyRtNpIRprs

I saw the Heroes version and, well, I loved it, damaged nevertheless....

Charles Gramlich said...

The author of Haiku Guy, David Lanoue, who is on my links, is a big fan of Kerouac and he was the one who turned me onto "On the Road." I tend to like his haiku quite a bit.

Johnny Yen said...

On the Road is one of those things I refer to often, but have never actually read. I should soon-- I grabbed my late friend Mark's copy when we cleaned out his house last summer.

I love what Truman Capote said about the book, in his inimitableway: "This isn't writing-- this is just typing."

Erik Donald France said...

MW, Jim, Susan, Danny, Charles and Johhny,

thanks all for the comments!

Danny, I see there's that new re-release of Nico -- what good luck!

Here's to haiku and any other form that works. If it works, it's all good.