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: Part One, Chapter Four - wanna ride?

Hello friends and fellow Kerouac fans! Happy New Year to you and yours. Hopefully your holidays were as fun and busy as ours!


It's been busy times around KL. Our very own Lorabell has been busy as a Stew loving bee baking up some delicious Mean Apple Pie. Check it out. Oh, and if you make any our recipes or have any suggestions, let us know!  I've also added a new tune or two to the On The Road playlist. Listen along and get inspired.


I also want to take this opportunity to thank you guys for reading along with us and for your awesome participation! It makes us super happy! Stew would love it (we think...)!


Let's go on with it; shall we? Let's see who Sal gets to encounter on the road... It's going to be an interesting, ah, ride...


Exes and Ohs...
LettieLou

Read along with us HERE

You gotta double-pump the clutch ;)

Chapter Summary: 
Our guy Sal is getting ready to take the "ride of his life" hitching a ride on the back of a flatbed truck driven by two cornfed farmboys. They don't discriminate against who they pick up and so Sal encounters some of the coolest cats west of the Mississippi. He becomes attached to some members of this rag tag group and has a few laughs along the way. Ever hopeful, he has his precious Denver in his sights.




Breaking it down - an excerpt:


Lorabell: of course!
but his interactions with characters are more than fleeting glances here
we get to sit and chill with them for a bit


LettieLou: he loves them
he attaches to them


Lorabell: even if still briefly


LettieLou: like he might actually miss them


Lorabell: yup, he’s sad to see them go


LettieLou: exactly
his descriptions of the characters come to life more here. it's actually nice to not only hear about one or two people.


Lorabell: the story its-self is coming to live here - it's funny
trying to take a leak off the back of a truck...


LettieLou: oh god i know!
and i love how he said he did it "just fine" before
LOL!


Lorabell: and the two drivers with their big smiles
zigzagging all over the road


LettieLou: can't you just see them??
i can feel the wind whizzing around my hair

Read the full convo 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...