Hot on the heels of Jack Kerouac's entry into the Library of America comes news that the "scroll" version of his most famous book is going to be published. I actually got to see some of the scroll-which is 120 feet long-several years ago, when it made its touring debut at the Lilly Library here in Bloomington. It belongs to Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, who paid a cool $2.4 million for it back in 2001, and who seems to be pretty jake about letting it go, er, on the road for cultural display. Personally, I'd prefer an actual "scroll replica," which I could unwind and read for three nights in a row whilst downing endless cups of coffee... but I guess this one will have to do for now.
And look out-from the news article link above:
A film version of the novel has also been announced for 2009, to be produced by Hollywood giant Francis Ford Coppola and directed by Walter Salles, the filmmaker behind Che Guevara biopic "The Motorcycle Diaries."
So much for The Subterraneans being the only film adaptation of a Kerouac novel. In the meantime, stay tuned for our September 1 "Jazz and Jack Kerouac" Night Lights program, featuring special guest (and new Indiana University School of Music professor) Phil Ford, who can also be found blogging about beats of all kinds at Dial M for Musicology.