More of this Feature • Part I, The Author's Song • Part II, The Auctioneer's Song • Part IV, The Acquiring Mind's Song

Join the Discussion Favorite quotes: “The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved... the ones who never yawn and say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”     --Kerouac quoted by Pixordia

Elsewhere on the Web • Christie's page on the auction of the scroll • Jack Kerouac's On the Road Scroll: The History and Future, compendium by Mary Sands in Jack Magazine's Beat Generation News • Newslinks on the scroll & auction at Empty Mirror Books, “the Beat Generation & beyond” specialists • Jack Kerouac bio at Literary Kicks • “Pop!,” the Jack Kerouac haiku page • kicks joy darkness (CD of Kerouac pomes recorded by other artists) at Rykodisc • Jazz Culture: The Beats links collection at About Classic Jazz

Then comes, “Lot number 307. The Lot a lot of you have been waiting for...” (Ha-ha, a little auctioneer humor.) “Jack Kerouac's original typescript scroll of On The Road, shown here before you on the screens. I'll start the bidding at 650,000 dollars on this...” (I'm out.) “650,000... 700,000... 750,000... 800,000... 850,000... 900,000... 950,000... 1 million dollars over here, one million dollars in the front row, 1,100,000 dollars... (pause) 1,200,000... 1,300,000... (pause) 1,400,000... (over the phone), (then quickly) 1,500,000... (pause)...” (And all this time it's Brinkley's guy who's flashin' up his white paddle #479 as soon as anyone else bids anything -- the old Instant Paddle Flash Routine-- then after a pause the front row finally bids again.) “1,600,000... (then quickly) 1,700,000... (pause) 1,800,000... 1,900,000... (extended pause)...” (It's totally silent in the room, of course -- you could hear a dream pop.) “We can wait a little bit,” the animated auctioneer allowed. “1,900,000... (long pause)... The bid is 1,900,000 with the gentleman... 1,900,000... Anybody say 2 million?” He looks down at the front row and says, “No, I'm sorry, 2 million's next... 1,900,000... 1,900,000 then? In the third row at 1,900,000... (pause) Is there any further advance at 1,900,000? (pause) Fair warning at 1,900,000...” He raises his little wooden gavel stub and slowly begins to bring it down. “Last call... (suddenly --) 2 million!” he exclaims and points to the front row! Whoa! Then instantly -- “2,200,000.” The whole crowd whoops -- huge tension release -- laughing, clapping, but all the way pinning-the-needle and quiet again in about 2 seconds -- flying by fast as be-bop! “Anticipation!” announces the auctioneer, articulating the air of the collective moment. “2,200,000... 2 million 2... (pause) At 2,200,000, in the third row. Are we all done at 2,200,000? (pause) SOLD! At 2,200,000!” And the whole room just explodes in applause! Huge release -- K'BAMM!

Just as the applause is dying down, the auctioneer steps up again. “Ladies and gentlemen, I'd just like to announce that that is a new world record for a literary manuscript at auction.” And another round!

Then, in The Funny Dept., as soon as the final clapping dies down, some guy yells, “Corso lives!” and throws his fist in the air. This might not have worked in the middle of the auction, but it was pretty funny in the weird million-dollar-air-void to hear a voice hollering through the twinkling cosmos, “Corso lives!” He certainly does.

And 2 million dollars says, so does our man Jack.

It was all decided in a minute and 55 seconds. As soon as it was over, I bolted up front and the first sign I had that everything was okay was Doctor Doug grinning so wide I thought his face would snap! Brinkley beamin' like a baby was all I needed to see. If he's happy, I'm happy. This must be a good thing!

I said a quick hi to Casey Cyr and Michelle Esrick, the only two other hipsters who were at both the downtown On The Road show at the Chelsea Commons on the 50th anniversary of the scroll's birthday and at the uptown auction where it finally would get its wings and leave its New York home for the first time. Jack's tracing paper science project has outlived him. When I spoke to Dave Amram on the phone afterwards he was getting kind of choked-up about it -- that Jack died with $83 in his pocket, and now just 30 years later, the notebook in that same pocket was worth more than he was.

And it turns out that the striped-suited football player who'd walked by earlier was the guy who bought it! He was all red-faced and excited and stunned -- and he wasn't goin' anywhere. So I walked over and there was an AP guy there asking him questions -- but it's about... football...?! It's so weird to think there may be something bigger n this guy's life today than buying the On the Road scroll. At least that's what the AP guy was opening with. He was talking divisional realignment with the retractable-dome blues again, and it was like, Weird Scene Channel Surf. Where's the remote? Switch back to the Jack Epiphany Channel, eh? Sudden click and Irsay's laughing, “Yeah, it's been a busy day.” And while he's laughing a few other reporters surround us, then some big cameras, other people, boom mikes floating in overhead....

How does it fee-eel?

Brian Hassett

Next page > Part IV, The Acquiring Mind's Song > page 1, 2, 3, 4

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