Was it me who thought it was cool to walk around with a paperback copy of On The Road disintegrating in his back pocket while back in college? Nope, that must have been some otherbody.

Jack Kerouac’s writing falls in and out of favor but I’ve always loved it.

This reading is from his novella The Subterraneans (1958) and I think it’s still one of the most captivating descriptions of jazz nightlife I’ve ever read. I edited it to remove some of the contextual narratives that would be confusing if you don’t know the book. (Thanks to Mark Murphy for the inspiration.)

The background music is Parker’s Mood, played by Supersax.