Jack Kerouac: End of the Road at the Fringe

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Southern Winds Theatre, from Orlando, Florida presented Jack Kerouac: End of the Road at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. In July of 1969, three months before he died, Jack Kerouac, the father of the “beat movement,” appeared on William F. Buckley’s “Firing Line.” In a tirade of booze inspired talk, he shared stories about his insane, yet creatively inspired travels on the road.

The play is staged in the waiting room before Jack goes on the air. There he drinks and reminisces about his life, family and friends. He is labeled as a “Beat” which is similar to many with “Hippies” as they became known in the 1960s. His views however are rather conservative and Republican. He himself viewed hippies as degenerates. As he sips alcohol his speech slurs and hiss views become blunt.

I have done many sketches of resident authors who write at
the Kerouac House here in Orlando. The Dharma Bums was written right
here in a tiny Orlando house which Jack shared with his mom. When On
The Road became a best seller, Jack needed to borrow bus money to go up
to NYC to talk to his publisher.With such strong Orlando connections, how could I not want to learn more about his life?

He only wanted to go on the TV program to recite some of his poems, but Buckley wanted instead to get his views about the Beats. In the rare moments Kerouac does wax poetic, a sax player appears out of nowhere to perform an accompaniment to his angst. It would be nice if the history of his life flowed as if in a Benzedrine induced haze, but the writing seemed forced as if for a historic made for TV movie. Perhaps I was just put off by having to see a young vibrant man wasting away needlessly on stage. Jack died an alcoholic. We will never know what was left unwritten.

Ryan Dustin at the Kerouac House.

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Ryan Dustin has been the resident author at the Kerouac House for the last several months. Writers are given a three-month residency. Each writer is provided free
lodging at the house, along with a food stipend so they can concentrate
fully on their work. To date 51 writers-in-residence from the United
States and several other countries have spent time at the Kerouac House
working on their projects.

Ryan is working on his first novel, called, “The Horse Mender.” It is set in a post apocalyptic world where people are trying to find ways to farm sustainability. A blue sketch of Jack Kerouac peered out over Ryan’s should as he read. Prior to starting this novel, Ryan strictly wrote poetry. A poem might take several hours to complete and then he needed to find something to do for the rest of the day. A novel however is a project that is ruthlessly on going.  He might complete six pages a day if he focused completely for the entire duration. As he put it, “Writing a novel is a bit crazy.” In the morning as he is lying in bed, thoughts might occur to him about what he should write about that day. Having uninterrupted open expanses of time can change your perspective. It is easy for the usual everyday chores to get in the way of a steadfast focus.

Ryan’s shirt was exquisitely wrinkled. I have no doubt that Jack’s shirts sported the same level of abandon. I don’t want to give away any aspect of the book, but the female lead was a romantic who had grown accustomed to living alone. This character appealed to me. She seemed to fit in perfectly with the sun scorched landscape. Her heart, being so protected seemed to hold the most promise in such a harsh world.

Ciara Shuttleworth’s Farewell Reading

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On May 23rd, Ciara Shuttleworth gave a farewell reading at the Kerouac House 1418 Clouser Ave, Orlando, Florida. Ciara had been a writer in residence, and after her stay in Orlando she went on an extended road trip back out west to her hometown in Washington State. She traveled with a cardboard cut out photo of Jack Kerouac and she took plenty of pictures of him “On the Road.” She was one of the more social and inclusive writers to take up residency at the historic home. She invited several of her writing friends to also read on her final evening in Orlando.

Ciara read a poem about people who are in love with the idea of be in in love. They crave the rush they get when they first become enamored with someone new. In this social media age, I suspect this phenomenon is more common.

As with most readings, there was plenty of wine, and I’m sure that writers gathered on the front porch to discuss literature late into the evening. At an earlier reading I stayed late, and Ciara had suggested that there be an impromptu Karaoke session. I think that I held my own as we followed the lyrics on a cell phone. The music was new to me but I liked it. On the evening of the farewell reading however, I didn’t linger. There had been drama enough during the reading for one evening. The living room was packed full of people. In the back of the room, several people were startled when a large cabinet case rocked with no one touching it. Some felt it might be the ghost of Jack Kerouac making sure no one was complacent.

“the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to
live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same
time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn,
burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders
across the stars.”
– Jack Kerouac “On the Road“

A Kerouac House Poluck

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The Kerouac House Project supports writers wit no a writing residency program. It was part of the lore of College Park, a cozy northwest Orlando neighborhood, that Jack Kerouac lived in the area for a short time in 1957–58 when his classic work On The Road was published to much acclaim. It was also the place he typed the original manuscript of his sequel, Dharma Bums. Very few people knew exactly where in College Park he lived, and nobody seemed to be aware of the historical significance of such a place. When a new writer arrives there is usually a potluck dinner so that the writer can get antiquated with the local literary scene.

On this evening I arrived early, so I decided to sketch the house in the gloaming hour after sunset. This is the first tome I saw the historical marker outside the home. The marker was erected a few months ago to honor Jack’s legacy. Now that the home has been researched, it has become a literary pilgrimage site for visitors from out of town. Almost every author who has been a part of the residency program has reported that groups of of people will randomly show up at the door wanting to get a peek inside.

These potlucks usually end with a group of people on the porch debating literature, punctuation and work events. After a few bottles of wine, all the worlds problems have been solved, or at least viewed in an entertaining light.

The Inaugeral Kerouac Project Open Mic Channeled the Beat Generation.

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On February 27th there was a Kerouac Project Open Mic at the Gallery at Avalon Island (39 South Magnolia Ave, Orlando, Florida). This was the inaugural Kerouac Project Open Mic, with featured poets Frank Messina and Caitlin Doyle, and guest jazz pianist Per Danielsson.

Naomi Butterfield was the host for the evening.  She had on a bright yellow scarf as she read from Jack Kerouac’s Dharma Bums.  “Happy. Just in my swim shorts, barefooted, wild-haired, in the red fire dark, singing, swigging wine, spitting, jumping, running—that’s the way to live.”

Writers were invited to take that line and run with it! Then bring your best was shared share with the Kerouacians. Others, like me just came to listen to some fine auditory vibes. The open mic sign-up sheet was out by 7:30, and each author had five minutes at the mic.

The pianist improvised as a poet read which gave the reading an added cinematic feel.  If only we had a soundtrack for the everyday moments of our lives. Listening to pop music while driving doesn’t count as an inspired sound track. The Kerouac Project crowd are creative people who aren’t afraid to live out loud.

Jack Kerouac’s Girlfriend Interviewed at the Kerouac House

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In 2010 one of Jack Kerouac‘s girlfriends, Joyce Johnson, visited the small College Park Cottage where Jack wrote “The Dharma Bums.” Jack and his mother rented the back rooms in those days. “Listen Joyce,” he wrote from Orlando to his girlfriend in New
York City on a winter day in 1957. He had big news. He was tearing
along on a new novel, “greater than ‘On the Road‘.” he wrote. It would be
called The Dharma Bums, and he described gazing up at the stars over
Florida for inspiration about how to wrap it up. Joyce recalled, “I thought I’d never met anyone who’d lived with more
absolute freedom … A need to keep moving, as if whenever he stayed
anywhere too long, he exhausted the present by soaking it in too
intensely.”

Several college students were filming a documentary about the legendary “Beat Generation” author. David Amram, a musician who also knew Jack was there to be interviewed as well. “Jack had a kindness and devotion to writing.” Amram explained. “He was always listening and watching like a great reporter. He was always writing epiphanies and inner feelings.” “By your words ye shall be known.” Yet for many Kerouac remains an enigma. Local news journalist and writer Bob Kieling has researched Kerouac for years, while writing about Kerouac’s Orlando connection. New material always surfaces. While in Orlando, “On the Road” was published and suddenly Kerouac was famous. Kerouac’s life spun out of control and he drank himself to death in 1969 at the age of 47. “How shall we pass most swiftly from point to point, and be present
always at the focus where the greatest number of vital forces unite in
their purest energy. To burn always with this hard, gem-like flame, to
maintain this ecstasy, is success in life.” wrote Walter Pater. The key of course is to not burn out.

Kerouac House Yard Sale Raises Money for the Resident Author Project

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The Kerouac Project hosts resident authors every few months in the house where Jack Kerouac wrote the Dharma Bums and where he was living with his mom when On the Road became a best seller putting him on the literary map. Jack really couldn’t handle the fame and he ended up drinking himself to death at a very young age. Jack is a writer who burned bright and was insanely prolific.

The Kerouac Project is a grassroots local organization hat purchased the College park home and maintains it for resident authors. The author get to live rent free with all expanses paid giving them the freedom to truly focus on their writing. The present author is Anne Marie Ni Churreain. She hails from the North-West of Ireland.
Her work has appeared in various journals such as Poetry Ireland Review
and The London Magazine. Anne Marie is the co-founder of the Upstart Arts Collective. I met Anne at a recent potluck dinner held in the Kerouac House. She comes from an incredible family with so many siblings that she can’t even be sure of the number. Her father was raised in an orphanage and so the home is filled with multicultural foster children along with her actual biological siblings. At home she is seldom alone, so the Kerouac House is a very different setting.

Once a year the Kerouac Project asks people to donated items for a Yard Sale. This is an awesome place to find books since these folks actually read printed books. Terry always finds some item she can’t live without and I relax in a lawn chair to get a sketch. Proceeds from the yard sale help keep authors coming to Orlando. Caitlin Doyle, who was a resident author last year has returned to Orlando to get away from the constant cold in Milwaukee. This is a testament to the warm reception writers get when they call Orlando Home. She will be going for her doctorate degree so that someday she will find a secure university position with tenure while she continues to write her poetry. Conversations at a Kerouac House potluck get intense, ranging from domestic violence to the state of art in America today. With enough wine, we just might solve the world’s problems.

Mark Your Calendar! On Wednesday October 22, at noon, there will be a dedication ceremony at the Kerouac House (1418 Clouser Ave, Orlando, FL), commemorating the houses recent induction into the Florida Historic Marker Foundation. Local Newscaster Bob Kealing discovered this homes tie in to the author of On The Road as he was researching an article commemorating the posthumous 75th birthday of Jack Kerouac.