Kerouac, Jack | Typescript scroll of The Dharma Bums. Typed by Kerouac in Orlando, Florida, 1957, published by Viking in 1958

Kerouac, Jack

Typescript scroll of the The Dharma Bums: the first draft of Kerouac’s sequel to On the Road. Typed by Kerouac in Orlando, Florida, 1957, published by Viking in 1958

A roll of wove (probably Teletype) paper created by Kerouac by joining 10 separate strips of paper with tape into a long scroll, permitting uninterrupted feeding through his typewriter, 61 ft. 3/8 in. in length x 8 1/2 inches wide. The text single-spaced, without paragraph or sectional breaks. With occasional manuscript revisions in Kerouac’s hand: a few lines or phrases crossed out, a dozen or so words and some paragraph marks added, 12-15 names or words crossed out with a substitute written above, overall a remarkably clean typescript, illustrating Kerouac’s powers of spontaneous composition with almost no hesitancy or reconsideration. Kerouac boldly wrote the title The Dharma Bums in red watercolor at the head of the scroll. Condition: The paper lightly yellowed, cellophane tape used by Kerouac for section joins and for a few early marginal repairs now yellowed, two later tape repairs from the back, upper right corner renewed at beginning, sheet edges in first two inches with discreet reinforcements. In a green quarter morocco slipcase and chemise.