Jack Kerouac On the Road Manuscript Scroll

Jack Kerouac wrote his novel On the Road in a unique fashion - he typed it on a continuous roll of paper, without paragraph breaks, in a marathon writing session in 1951. It is somewhat different than the version which was published in 1957. Finally, the original version has been published.

The scroll was auctioned in 2004; Indianapolis Colts owner & Beat Generation aficionado Jim Irsay was the buyer. He has since had the scroll restored, and has sent it on tour.

On the Road: The Original Scroll

The novel has been published as it first was written on the scroll. Yes, it is in book form - not actually on a scroll! But it lacks text breaks (such as paragraphs or chapters), includes real names rather than aliases, and is somewhat longer than the version published in 1957.

What has been published is the original draft; it's publication has been 50 years in the making.

The book is available at your local bookstore; it can also be bought at a substantial discount at Amazon.com. Just click the book cover at left to go there.

The Scroll Goes on Tour

The scroll has been travelling the United States since January 2004.

You can get more info at OnTheRoad.org, the scroll's official website.

The Jack Kerouac "On the Road" Scroll Auction

The hammer price for Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" scroll was $2,200,000.
(This figure does not include the buyer's premium.)
The sales price exceeds the pre-auction estimate of $1,000,000 - $1,500,000.

The scroll's buyer was Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts football team, who may exhibit the scroll in an Indianapolis museum.

Background

Jack Kerouac's original typewritten manuscript scroll for "On the Road" was auctioned by Christie's on May 22, 2001 on behalf of some of the heirs to Jack Kerouac's estate, at a starting bid of one million dollars.

There was a public outcry against the auction by various writers, Beat scholars, and others who felt that the best place for the scroll would be the New York Public Library or another public institution where it would be available for study, rather than the collection of a private individual. Fortunately, the scroll was purchased by Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, who recognizes the importance of the scroll and has said that he's committed to preserving it and will send it on tour. It will likely be made available for study as well.

Links

The first set of links below are news stories detailing the scroll's history and impending auction. The second set are post-auction updates. Finally, I've provided links to some sites offering background and perspective on the scroll's auction.

If you know of any other scroll-related links, please email me.