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SCARCE JACK KEROUAC AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT QUESTIONNAIRE. HIS CAREER GOAL: "BE A GREAT WRITER MAKING EVERYBODY BELIEVE IN HEAVEN"
KEROUAC, JACK.
Jack Kerouac Autograph Manuscript Signed.
: February 28,1964.
Autograph manuscript signed, being Kerouac’s answers to twelve typed questions from Robert Dodd, two pages, quarto, 28 February 1964.
Kerouac candidly replies to a young man’s questions. Given a ninth-grade classroom assignment to contact his favorite writer, Robert Dodd chose Jack Kerouac. The author provides lengthy answers to the young Dodd’s questions. On the question of his changing writing style Kerouac explains: “The Town and the City was my first, young man novel when I was just starting our trying to write like Thomas Wolfe — Lonesome Traveler is a product of my own style which I developed in later years, spontaneous writing’ with no looking back, in my own laws of storytelling — OUTER SPACE PROSE! My own original invention.”
On the question of being classified as a “Beatnik” or a “way-out” writer, Kerouac responds: “‘Way-out’ yes, but I never was a Beatnik – it was the newspapers and critics who tagged that label on me — I never had a beard, never wore sandals, avoided the company bohemians and their politics, and always had a job on the road like in Lonesome T on railroads, ships, etc.”
On the question of his philosophy of life, Kerouac responds: “My philosophy now is ‘No Philosophy,’ just ‘Things-As-They-Are.’”
On the question of career goals. the author simply writes: “Be a great writer making everybody believe in Heaven.”
Answering the question of the ideal way of life, Kerouac responds: “Hermit in the woods…”, and his thoughts on fame: “My name is like Crackerjacks, famous, but very few people buy my books.”
On the subject of segregation, the author writes: “They need jobs, naturally,& education for better jobs — But the Irish + Italians of Massachusetts never paraded in protest, just worked hard and made it.”
Interestingly, Kerouac is most expansive in response to the final question: whether he has visited Montana. His answer fills three-quarters of the page, beginning: “Great day, my favorite state! – I wrote about Montana in “On the Road” but the publishers took it out behind my back – I stayed one night, up all night, in a saloon in Butte, to keep out of the 40- below February cold, among sheep ranchers playing poker (with sheep dogs at their feet), red-eyed drunken Indians drinking out of bottles in the john, Chinese gamblers, women, cowboys, miners – And outside of Butte, at Three Forks Montana, I saw the source of the Missouri River in the snowy valley – I also heard wolves howl in the Bitterroot Mountains – But I didn’t like Missoula much (skiers etc.) – I would like to have a summer cabin in Montana some day, the last truly ‘Western’ state.”
In near fine condition. Matted and framed. The entire piece measures 31 inches by 18 inches. A rare and intimate glimpse into the thought and literary progression of one of the formative writers of the 20th century.
Price: $75,000.00 Item Number: 79098
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"High School introduced at young age (15 & 16) to Emily Dickinson, who is probably greatest American poet I realize now": Rare Graduate Student Questionnaire Completed and Signed by Jack Kerouac with a lengthy inscription
KEROUAC, JACK.
Jack Kerouac Autograph Questionnaire Signed.
: 1960.
Rare mimeographed questionnaire sent by a graduate student of City College of New York to Jack Kerouac; completed and signed twice by him with a lengthy inscription in conclusion. Two pages, partially printed the questionnaire begins with a typed letter signed by James A. Sherlock politely requesting Kerouac’s response which reads in part: “Dear Mr. Kerouac, I am a graduate student of City College of New York, working upon an original research project aimed at uncovering certain educational factors in the lives of successful writers. As you undoubtedly know, there always has been considerable interest in analyzing the psychological make-up of the writer, but seldom has the more prosaic factor of the writer’s education been taken into consideration. Through this questionnaire, I would like to find out if the average successful writer considers his high school education in English a help or a hindrance in preparing him for his profession. Did frequent composition assignments aid the writer in improving his skill? Did reading – either outside reading or reading assigned in the classroom – play a small or large part in preparing the writer for his work?” Completed by Kerouac, in his hand, the questionnaire reads: Reading During High School: 1. In your high school days, did you prefer to read fiction or non-fiction? “Both” 2. If you preferred fiction, what type did you prefer? (Novels, short stories, plays, poetry, etc.) “Novels (from Bronte to ‘pulp’ novels)” 3. If you preferred non-fiction, what subjects did you prefer to read about? “Encyclopaedias [sic], Atlases, Harvard Classics (of Elliot)” 4. Was most of your reading matter of your own choosing or reading material assigned in the classroom? “My Own Choosing mostly (cut classes to spend schooldays in Library)” 5. Did you favor one or two authors at this time in particular in your high school reading? If so, whom? “Just general” 6. As nearly as you can remember, approximately how many books did you read each month during your high school days? “Depended on activities (of course)” High School Instruction: 7. As nearly as you can remember, how often were written compositions assigned in your high school English classes? “Can’t remember” 8. In your opinion, what facet of English instruction did most to develop your skill as a writer? (Literature, composition, spelling, grammar, vocabulary study, others) “Literature” The least? “Composition” 9. As you recall, were your grades in English composition on the whole very good, good, average, fair, or poor? (Kerouac has checked good) 10. Do you recall ever having received special encouragement in your writing from a high school English teacher? “Yes, Joseph Pyne of Lowell High School (Mass.)” Early Writing: 11. At approximately what age did you first seriously consider becoming a writer? “17 (That is, a ‘serious’ writer) (wrote since 11)” 12. Did you engage in outside writing – above the usual writing required in every day life – to any degree at this time? “Yes – from 11 yrs. old on.” 13. Did you at this time consciously imitate the style of any particular author or authors in your writing? “Yes” If so, who? “Saroyan & Hemingway (at 17)” 14. In your opinion, how much did your high school English courses contribute to your success as a writer? (Kerouac has checked all four options: Very much, Some, Little, and Very Little) 15. What factor or factors, if any, would you say contributed more that your schooling to your success as a writer? “SELF IMPOSED READING SCHEDULES OUTSIDE CLASSROOM” Note: If you have additional ideas on the value or inadequacies of your high school English instruction, please feel free to state them on the back of this questionnaire. Name: “Jack Kerouac”. In response to the final question, Kerouac has added a full page signed inscription to the verso of the third page of the questionnaire, “English & American Lit course in High School introduced at young age (15 & 16) to Emily Dickinson, who is probably greatest American poet I realize now (at least equal to Melville & Whitman for sheer mental beauty & brilliance of emotion – description) – High School crucial time to teach Jack K. But writers are born, not made (ask Balzac).” In near fine condition. An exceptional example offering a rare and intimate glimpse into the education and influences of one of the formative writers of the 20th century.
Price: $38,000.00 Item Number: 117950
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First Edition of Jack Kerouac's First Book The Town and the City
KEROUAC, JACK.
The Town and the City.
New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company 1950.
First edition of Kerouac’s first book. Octavo, original red cloth. Near fine in a very good dust jacket with some rubbing and wear to the extremities. Jacket design by Leo Manso.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 96388
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First Edition of Jack Kerouac's First Book The Town and the City
KEROUAC, JACK.
The Town and the City.
New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company 1950.
First edition of Kerouac’s first book. Octavo, original red cloth. Near fine in an excellent price-clipped dust jacket with rubbing and a chip to the extremities. Jacket design by Leo Manso.
Price: $975.00 Item Number: 47652
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“All that hitchhikin All that railroadin All that comin back to America”: FIRST EDITION OF JACK KEROUAC’S Lonesome Traveler; Signed by Him
KEROUAC, JACK; DRAWINGS BY LARRY RIVERS.
Lonesome Traveler.
New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company 1960.
First edition of this collection of short stories. Octavo, original half cloth, drawings by Larry Rivers. Boldly signed by Jack Kerouac on the title page. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Rare and desirable signed, this is the first example we have seen.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 114572
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“ALL THAT HITCHHIKIN. ALL THAT RAILROADIN. ALL THAT COMIN BACK TO AMERICA”: FIRST EDITION OF JACK KEROUAC’S LONESOME TRAVELER; WITH A RARE AUTOGRAPH NOTE SIGNED BY JACK KEROUAC LAID IN
KEROUAC, JACK.
Lonesome Traveler.
New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company 1960.
First edition of Kerouac’s deeply personal collection of autobiographical vignettes. Octavo, original half-cloth, illustrated with drawings by Larry Rivers. Laid in is an autograph letter signed by Kerouac which reads, “Dec. 3 1962 Dear Louis, Voila, contracts signed – Glad to hear too of Deutsch London reprint contract which means I can pay for my Sins – Jack Kerouac Tell Sterling I see him Dec. 29 or 28 & You too J.” Here, Kerouac refers to his novel Big Sur, first published in September of 1962 by Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, and subsequently by Deutsch in London. He also refers to Kerouac’s literary agent, Sterling Lord, who was responsible for the publication of Kerouac’s masterpiece On the Road (which took him four years to sell) and represented several other major names in American writing including Ken Kesey, Howard Fast, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Larry Rivers. The letter is in fine condition and measures 8 inches by 5 inches. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Rare.
Price: $8,800.00 Item Number: 117094
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"Your work has contributed mightily to our success": Jack Kerouac's Personal Advance Copy of Hugh Hefner's The Twelfth Anniversary Playboy Reader
HEFNER, HUGH M. [JACK KEROUAC].
The Twelfth Anniversary Playboy Reader.
Chicago: Playboy Press 1965.
Jack Kerouac’s personal advance copy of The Twelfth Anniversary Playboy Reader. Quarto, original cloth. Laid in is the original transmittal letter on Hefner’s Playboy Press letterhead dated September 8, 1965, which reads in part: “Dear Mr. Kerouac: Here, with my personal compliments, is your advance copy of The Twelfth Anniversary Playboy Reader, which is being published by Playboy Press. It is a hallmark in the history of Playboy, a distinguished compilation of the very best prose we have published in our magazine during its first twelve years. Your work has contributed mightily to our success, and I am very pleased to have included it in this volume… Cordially, Hugh M. Hefner.” Signed by Hefner in facsimile. Kerouac was one of a staggering number of authors whose work was published in Playboy Magazine early in their writing careers, when they were still virtually unknown. Published to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the magazine’s first appearance on December 1, 1953, the impressive list of authors and interviewees featured in this volume include: Ian Fleming, Ludwig Bemelmans, John Steinbeck, P.G. Wodehouse, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Henry Miller, D.H. Lawrence, Aldous Huxley, Ernest Hemingway, Graham Greene, Albert Schweitzer, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Kerouac’s short story “Good Blonde” first appeared in Playboy. With Kerouac’s estate stamp to the front free endpaper. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 126103
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JACK KEROUAC'S BIG SUR; Signed by Beat Icon Lawrence Ferlinghetti
KEROUAC, JACK [LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI].
Big Sur.
New York: Penguin Books 2001.
Early printing of Kerouac’s poignant masterpiece of self-reflection. Octavo, original illustrated wrappers. Signed by Beat icon Lawrence Ferlinghetti on the title page, “Lorenzo Monsanto – Ferlinghetti.” Lorenzo Monsanto is the name of the character in the book based on Ferlinghetti. In fine condition.
Price: $600.00 Item Number: 128712
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First Edition of Jack Kerouac's Satori in Paris; Inscribed by Him to His Brother-in-law Tony Sampras
KEROUAC, JACK.
Satori In Paris.
New York: Grove Press 1966.
First edition of Kerouac’s penultimate novel. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “Tony’s copy- signed by his brother man Jacky Kerouac.” The recipient, Tony Sampras was the youngest brother of Kerouac’s wife, Stella. Tony and Kerouac were close, Kerouac called Tony two days before his death and the On the Road scroll was left to him by Stella in her will. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Kuhlman Associates. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Rare and desirable signed and inscribed, especially with such an association.
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 128912
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“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road": First Edition of Jack Kerouac's On The Road; Signed by Gary Snyder
KEROUAC, JACK [GARY SNYDER].
On The Road.
New York: The Viking Press 1957.
First edition of Kerouac’s classic novel. Octavo, original black cloth. Boldly signed by legendary beat Gary Snyder on the half-title page. Near fine in an excellent near fine dust jacket with light wear. Jacket design by Bill English. An exceptional example, rare and desirable signed.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 131088