On The Road: Part 1, Chapter 7 - onesome, twosome, threesome, foursome?

AAAAAAAAARGH!!!   It's an On The Road overload!

And I like it ;)

After the trailer was FINALLY released (unf, just how awesome is it?!) now there are new pics and posters and I so can't wait to finally see this flick - but we get into that a little further down the "scroll" (*ten Kerouac points to me*).

In other news, our apologies for the delay in this post - boring things like work and time zones sometimes keep us from getting our OTR on... collectively at least, we're always rocking like KStew solo ;)

And here we go...

- Lorabell x

Click HERE to read along with On The Road 

Chapter summary:

So with Sal finally arriving in Denver, he's anxious for a long awaited reunion with Dean and Carlo... who, not surprisingly, have been occupied with elsewhere: with women; and themselves.
Dean's juggling MaryLou, Camille and at least a third woman... not to mention Carlo's man crush.  When Dean's not hopping beds, the two cats fan their own egos!
What will Sal do now?

Breaking it down - an excerpt:

LettieLou:  Well, let me start by saying...
LettieLou:  DEAN
DEAN
DEAN
Lorabell:  (and his enormous schlong?)
LettieLou: and his "schedule"
Lorabell: schedule - so close
LettieLou: HAHAHAHA
that's to come
pun intended
Lorabell:  bam!
LettieLou:  (note to the reader: we're not normally so filthy)
Lorabell:  (psh, not in the final edit)
LettieLou: I think this chapter gives us the first REAL glimpse of Dean
and what's important to him
SEX
SEX
SEX
Lorabell:  he is SUCH a MAN WHORE
LettieLou:  worse... a sneaky and calculated man whore
Lorabell:  now, I know it was the beginning of that era, etc
but EXACTLY, so calculated
eugh
LettieLou:  he knows how to get what he wants
Lorabell:  DINGDINGDING!
master manipulator
LettieLou:  because marylou is NOT STUPID
Lorabell:  but i don't think he's that "smart" - he's just charming
LettieLou:  though she's going to appear it for awhile
Lorabell:  word, she totes has the upper hand that way
LettieLou:  oh and she does...

Click to read in FULL after the cut

Holy KStew! HD "On the Road" Trailer!!!

Check out the LONG awaited trailer for Walter Salles' EVEN LONGER film adaptation of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" below:

I AM SO EXCITED!!!

Be sure to follow the movie official Twitter and FaceBook :D

All for now! Stay tuned for our discussion of Chapter 7 of "On the Road."

Loving MaryLouStew,
LettieLou ;)

On The Road Playlist

Music inspired by Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" as selected by your very own Kristen's Lit Gals. Read along with us and listen to the selections. You just might feel a little cooler, man...

More tunes next chapter!

Laters,

LettieLou

On the Road: Part 1, Chapter 6 - Bromance cooling down in Denver

He's finally arrived!

Well, hello fellow K'Liters! 
Where have we been, you ask? Well, all I can say is that it's difficult for two friends who live in two different time zones on two different continents who have two very different work schedules to coordinate this shizz but we make it happen because we love it. ;)  And because you guys are awesome!  
Stick with us, won't you? We won't let you down. We promise. 

Lorabell and I chatting this up today was quite an interesting conversation. Sometimes we do our best work under pressure and with the shortest chapters. This one is no exception. 
There was some good "extra" stuff that was edited out of the official discussion but let's just say Stew's photo shoots were involved. Gah, I love a good debate! 
Just wait till we get some of you guys involved in the weekly chat. You'll see what kind of Stew Induced Crazy you miss out on... ;)

Gah. Ded. I couldn't resist. [LB note: woman, I'm surprised you didn't embed the BTS video :p]

Time to see if our guy Sal has found Dean... Without further adieu...


Exes and Ohs,
LettieLou


Chapter Summary:


Sal has finally arrived in his precious Denver and seeks out his old pal, Chad King. Chad (along with some other old pals) have separated themselves from the other side of the group (namely Dean and Carlo). Sal feels this is some type of social war caused by Dean's unsavory upbringing but seems quite content to be in the middle. And he's still desperately seeking Dean.


Breaking it down - an excerpt:


Lorabell: it's a small lyric, but so many of his are like that - simplistic isn't the same as simple - little things, said in the most direct way, can mean so much more


LettieLou: i think that's why i adore kerouac... he does that exact thing...


Lorabell: and I think that Kerouac's writing, although descriptive, doesn't become unnecessarily wordy - it says just enough and just exactly what he means and it takes you there - really YOU, not just any reader but you overlay your own memories to his


LettieLou: Page 38... "He still had his old office over a garage down the street- the rolltop desk was still there, together with the dusty papers of past excitement and moneymaking." that last sentence, to me, is the perfect example of that. my mind can go a thousand places with that one sentence.


Lorabell: I can see it, totally but at the same time as thinking of my Dad's desk from childhood


LettieLou: my papaw's too! LOL! he doesn't have to go on for an entire paragraph about the way the desk looked...


Lorabell: no, exactly - it's precise without being lacking

Want to read along with us? Great! Go Here

Read the full conversation after the cut...

On The Road: Part 1, Chapter 5 - is there something in your pocket or are you just happy to head West?

Hello again, KLiters!


LettieLou and I are so stoked that Kristen and Kerouac fans alike are joining in with our read/groove/bake along :)

Please do let us know your comments on the book as well as any songs that you think would be just perfect for the soundtrack or any of our recipes that you've tried...

Down the road a bit (ha) we're hoping to invite guest commenters to take part in our breakdown, where you'll get to join in on the behind-the-scenes chat (and see what random tangent hilarity gets edited out of posts for our own good - trust).  Eventually, we'd love to turn this into regular group chat-room discussions - like our own online Beatnik Bootcamp!

Ya dig, Daddy-o?

- Lorabell


Chapter Summary:


After finally seeming to settle into his journey, Sal reverts to being immaturely impatient with his experience, once again yearning for Denver and his friends Dean and Carlo.  Failed attempts at hitting on nameless, faceless girls and empty extravagances with booze leave him sick and tired and dreaming of greener grass...




Breaking it down - an excerpt:


Lorabell: dude's got a pair of ill-advised balls

LettieLou: he doesn't give a shit

Lorabell: why should he? he's off to denver
lol

LettieLou: DAMN STRAIGHT
to denver!!!

Lorabell: and driving in a truck full of dudes for however long would likely make you need a woman
hence why he moves straight onto that blonde bit

LettieLou: great segway

Lorabell: and everything in him is "pointing" at her - ha!
*bows* thanks

LettieLou: BUT

Lorabell: ?

LettieLou: even that seems disappointing to him
not enough, ya know?

Lorabell: true
she's kinda meh
and her friend isn't attractive

LettieLou: if dean isn't involved, it's not good enough

Lorabell: he's already checked out

LettieLou: *snaps*
bingo

Lorabell: what is WITH his mancrush on Dean?

As always, read along with us HERE

Read the full convo after the cut...

On The Road: Recipe - Sal's Road-Side Sliders (or Kristen's "Double Double" Burgers)

Kristen's always been a meat-eater after my own heart - pun not intended - I remember her saying to PopEater "I think I could have eaten 16 double double burgers in a day" during filming of The Yellow Handkerchief.

So how could I resist cooking up some sliders to coincide with Part 1, Chapter 4 of our On The Road read-along? Especially as they're oh so easy to make as well as Sal getting deep into the American mid-west, home of red-meat eaters:

"We all shambled after them to a restaurant run by a bunch of women, and sat around over hamburgers and coffee while they wrapped away enormous meals just as if they were back in their mother's kitchen."

Sounds tasty :)

Vegetarians beware - click to cook after the cut!

On The Road: Recipie - Kristen's "Mean" Apple Pie... packing punch with pastry!

Bam!

Back in her interview with Harpers Bazaar for their December 2009 issue, Kristen said how she makes "really good pie. Apple pie — it's the best."

How could I resist the urge to bake one for our On The Road read-a-long?  Especially as Sal just got to the heart of the midwest where he "ate apple pie and ice cream - it was getting better as I got deeper into Iowa, the pie bigger, the ice cream richer".

Now, I'm not going to be so ambitious as to make my own ice-cream (yet) especially as making my own pastry is challenge enough - I wouldn't judge you for using ready-made here - I usually make apple crumbles so I can trick myself into thinking it's healthier due to the oats :)

I'm working from a friend's tried and tested recipe, with which she won a competition back in the day and has been baking ever since.  To give it that "mean" feel I'm adding an extra squeeze of lemon (must be all that fan fic) and feel free to throw in an extra apple or two if you're feeling particularly Iowanian ;)

Click to cook after the cut!

On The Road: Part One, Chapter Three - who is this guy?

Apologies for the delay in Chapter Three this week, KLiters (*snort* just realized how wrong that sounds - new name suggestions in the comments please) holidays 'n' all!


LettieLou and I have been reading away as usual, as well as updating the On The Road playlist and baking NYC Cream Cakes - I'm beyond proud they actually look and tasted (note, past tense) really pretty yummy :)


So, let's jump right back on in, shall we?  Our boy, Sal's really starting to make some progress at this point - let's join him in the passenger seat with the window wound down and the warm breeze blowing in our hair - rolling along, on the road...

Read along with us HERE

Chapter summary:


After his earlier set-backs, Sal finally makes it to Chicago, which to him is the first of many obstacles on his route to San Fransico; he blows through almost as soon as he's arrived.  
Meeting up with Eddie, we find ourselves with them amongst the ten-gallon hat wearers, apple-pie eaters and everyday hard workers of America's heart lands.
Sal either sleeps through or watches it all speed by from the window of a vehicle, letting one opportunity for experience pass him by after another.
Hopefully he'll open his eyes to the dream he's living soon...




Breaking it down - an excerpt:

LettieLou: I love this chapter because he FINALLY starts to meet some characters

Lorabell: nod

LettieLou: who, besides the land, are the stars of this book

Lorabell: i love the guys with the big 10 gallon cowboy hats

LettieLou: LOL! me too!

Lorabell: oooooooh, love that - the land is SO a character

LettieLou: thanks. :)

Lorabell: but even though it is vast in geography and diversity, there is a uniting thread that runs throughout

like the Missisippi...

LettieLou: YES

he even says that...

when he describes the people

he talks about how these men could be from any town

anywhere

Lorabell: YES

LettieLou: (page 13 for those reading along)

"I walked, after a few cold beers, to the edge of town, and it was a long walk. All the men were driving home from work, wearing railroad hats, baseball has, all kinds of hats, just like after work in any town anywhere"

Lorabell: mhmm

he wants it all "now"

dude, look around

LettieLou: like he doesn't want to be left out

Click to read in FULL after the cut...

On The Road: Recipe - NYC Cream Cakes... I bake therefore I blog :)

Beatnik Breakfast in New York, late 1950s. L-R: Larry Rivers, Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso (back of head), David Amram, Allen Ginsburg - via source

I'm not one for usually documenting my culinary "creations" - I more usually bake on a whim - that is to say, when I've been given a foodie idea that I just can't get out of my head until I eat it... in Kristen's Lit case, this is looking to become a regular occurrence :)


In Part One, Chapter One of On The Road, Jack (Kerouac) writes about eating "glazed cakes and cream puffs" with Dean and Marylou when they first arrive in New York.

As homage to this, I decided that NYC Cream Cakes were top of our "Stew's Cooking" list!


What makes them "NYC" style, similar to NY Cheesecake, is that I've added cream cheese to otherwise standard plain cream filling.


The cakes themselves are adjusted from a tested recipe I researched at the JoyOfBaking... I'm glazing them just so they fit in better with our story ;)

Click to cook after the cut!

On the Road: Part One, Chapter Two - He wore what?

Hello fellow Scholars (and Stewsessors),


So... Chapter Two. Are you still with us? Good! Want to come along for the ride? Excellent! Hop in the car and read with us here.

Chapter summary:


Our narrator is invited on an adventure of a lifetime by a college friend. He is excited and has dreams of the greatest grandeur. Ill prepared (in every way) and hopeful, he sets out on, what he thinks, is the perfect route.
Through inclement weather and the advice of strangers with whom he hitches a ride, he realizes that he may need to change his plans. A bit. Still hopeful that if he reaches Chicago everything will be ok, he curses his own stupidity and hops on a bus bound for the Windy City.

Breaking it down - an excerpt:


Lorabell: agreed, he has such "stars" in his eyes almost
grass is greener, etc


LettieLou: I love how he takes his tone from so hopeful with this grand plan and his piddly $50... to "just get me to Chicago. I don't care"


Lorabell: but that just demonstrates his continued lack of reality
just blow off most of his only savings after one day of set-backs because you were unprepared?
dude, it's a wonder you survive at that rate


LettieLou: Seriously... just you wait...


Lorabell: no spoilers!


LettieLou: I get frustrated with him... (NONE I SWEAR!)


Lorabell: frustrated?


LettieLou: Yes, like... "Don't blow your money now!"


Lorabell: oh totally


LettieLou: "What are you thinking with those shoes?"
I'm too practical


Lorabell: hahaha
but if you're setting off into the great unknown you need to be fucking practical
just because Dean and Carlo are apparently having a great time
*cough*bullshit*cough*

Neal Cassady (left) and Jack Kerouac (right)

Click to read in FULL after the cut...

On The Road: Part One, Chapter One - Breaking it down, chatting it up

As a first read, we Kristen's Lit Girls agreed that On The Road was the place to start.

Not only are we stoked to see the film finally release in 2012, but LettieLou actually wrote her dissertation on Kerouac's scroll and I... well I just have a thing about reading the books before watching the movies!

Call me OCD - I'm largely inclined to agree with you - but mostly I just think it's respectful to the story :)

So... road trip, anyone?

Go HERE to read along with On The Road

Chapter summary:


On The Road opens as with our protagonist recalling his first memories of Dean, our supporting character who was "actually born on the road".

Dean arrives for the first time in New York with his new (and occasional) wife, MaryLou and we're hit with his high energy and inconstant focus.

Dean meets his match in Carlo before returning to the road with our hero quick to follow in his footsteps wanting "to know Dean more" and experience what his wanderlust entices...


Breaking it down - an excerpt:

Lorabell: Speaking of, we're introduced to MaryLou in chapter 1. Now, I've read Kristen saying something like how she realized that MaryLou wasn't this two-dimensional character she could have been played as and when I say "realize" I don't mean "came to think" but "made happen" as it were.

LettlieLou: Yeppo. His intro of characters is genius. He sets the tone for them ALL in this first chapter.
The majors anyway. He gives you a sense of them right off the bat. With a line. A word.
Not just what they look like.

LettlieLou: I got the impression from her that she really GOT Marylou

Lorabell: And of course all these characters, no matter how briefly we meet them, were people with lives and backgrounds and hopes and flaws.

LettlieLou: True. And I think it's fascinating to see them through Kerouac's eyes.

Lorabell: But because we DO meet them so briefly, I could see how it would be too easy for the performances of some to come off flat.

Lorabell: And especially with MaryLou who's almost a supportive role, a translation to screen could be shallow. 


LettlieLou: I think even though we get a brief glimpse here, he is so brilliant in how he weaves them into the tapestry of the entire story. Like he wants to give them the credit in the story for the profound effect they had on his life. No matter how brief

Click to read in FULL after the cut...