Tech and tux and rock and scroll
The owner of the teletype roll version of Kerouac's On the Road promises a red carpet night to remember with some famous musical names joining a centenary celebration of the author's life in LA
THE ON THE ROAD scroll is a magnificent coiled beast: over 100 feet of concentrated prose captured in a massive teletype roll, an extraordinary example of message meeting medium, kinetic energy tightly wrapped and then unfurled, a physical testament to the go-go-go electricity that Kerouac pumped into the seminal mid-century account of his late 1940s North American travels.
I first encountered it in the flesh at the end of 2008 when I was part of an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of the novel in the UK. Back On the Road was originally conceived as an event in Leeds the previous year, but, after fire damaged my campus office, a generous colleague from the University of Birmingham asked me to become part of his celebration instead.
Back On the Road in the English Midlands proved to be more than just a successful international conference, a series of readings and other live contributions; it also provided the first opportunity for British readers and fans of the writer to see the legendary Original Scroll on public show.
Pictured above: ‘Spontaneous bop prosody’ – the Original Scroll for On the Road
Leading Beat academic Dick Ellis, Professor of American and Canadian Literature, went to enormous trouble to secure the premiere UK exhibition of this extraordinary document and, for a couple of months, it was displayed in the Barber Institute of Fine Arts.
I mention this with particular reference to the latest spectacular presentation of the Kerouac scroll, at a starry bash organised by its owner Jim Irsay, to be staged in Los Angeles at the famed Beverly Hills Hotel on March 12th, the actual date on which the 100th birthday of the author would have fallen.
Irsay, a man of huge wealth who owns the Indianapolis Colts football team and indulges in a most impressive collection of popular cultural objets, is not an individual to do things by half and the strong connection that the Kerouac legacy has established with the world of rock‘n’roll is highlighted in the guest list compiled for this high profile occasion.
Pictured above: Jim Irsay, owner of the Kerouac scroll
Among those who have positively RSVP’d are Cameron Crowe, a rock writer who made his name at a very young age with Rolling Stone before moving on to movie making, long-time Kerouac follower Mike Mills of REM and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Others present will include a string of top-notch performers in the field: drummer Ken Aronoff, guitarists Mike Wanchic, Tom Bukovac and multi-instrumentalist Michael Ramos.
In further keeping with this rock music thread, Irsay, who made his fortune somewhat unglamorously out of heating and air conditioning businesses, will display his remarkable collection of guitars. Among the artefacts featured are 20 items owned and played by Jerry Garcia, David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Les Paul, Jimmy Page, the Edge, Lou Reed, Pete Townshend and more.
Extra bonus rock exhibits are pianos from Elton John and John Lennon – his Sgt. Pepper’s piano – Bob Dylan's lyrics for ‘The Times They Are a-Changin'', Paul McCartney's words to ‘Hey Jude’, Jim Morrison's Paris notebook and the drum kit employed by the Beatles on the historic Ed Sullivan Show.
Pictured above: The renowned LA venue for the 100th birthday commemoration
While the Kerouac scroll is the centrepiece in terms of literary articles on show – and there will be additional readings from his work by Crowe, musical luminaries Ramblin' Jack Elliott and David Amran plus authors Douglas Brinkley, Anita Thompson and Sean Hemingway – there are more jaw-dropping examples for those at the reception to enjoy. First editions of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and J.D. Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye take pride of place.
Would Kerouac have enjoyed being there? It’s hard to speculate how a century-old icon would settle down to this sort of evening. I sort of doubt it – he would probably be deeply embarrassed at the fuss, overawed by the attention and almost inevitably drink himself into a deep stupor.
But there is no doubt that this glamorous cocktail of words and music, hosted by that potent symbol of wealth Irsay and with the inevitable attendant media attention, will keep the writer’s incredible achievement, over a tragically short 47 years, on the Hollywood radar as a Californian spring beckons.
Another scroll, another time - from the often overlooked Ted Joans: https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/the-met-surrealism
Now viewable at the Tate surrealist show in London - tho’ even they manage to misspell Joans name!