Kerouac's insight as to what 'IT' is..

alternateorg on June 20, 2001

Now, we all remember that whole ‘Ginger/IT’ thing a while back. I came across this passage in On The Road today, which I felt was.. er.. kind of fitting. I guess. Maybe I just wanted to share it, I dunno. Check it:


“Now, man, that alto man last night hat IT – he held it once he found it; I’ve never seen a guy who could hold so long.” I wanted to know what “IT” meant. “Ah, well” – Dean laughed – “now you’re talking about impon-de-rables – ahem! Here’s a guy and everybody’s there, right? Up to him to put down what’s on everybody’s mind. He starts the first chorus, then lines up his ideas, people, people, yeah, yeah, but get it, and then he rises to his fate and has to blow equal to it. All of a sudden, somewhere in the middle of the chorus he gets it – everybody looks up and knows; they listen; he picks it up and carries. Time stops. He’s filling empty space with the substance of our lives, confesions of his bellybottom strain, remembrance of ideas, rehashes of old blowing. He has to blow across bridges and come back and do it with such infinite feeling soul-exploratory for the tune of the moment that everybody knows it’s not the tune that counts, but IT“

A little more inspiring than a scooter. 🙂 Maybe that’s why I love jazz so much…

Reader interactions

2 Replies to “Kerouac's insight as to what 'IT' is..”

  1. ddmmyy June 20, 2001 at 5:42 pm

    If you look hard enough in On The Road, you can find anything. It’s kind of like the bible, only a better read and a lot less pushy.

  2. ddmmyy June 20, 2001 at 5:42 pm

    If you look hard enough in On The Road, you can find anything. It’s kind of like the bible, only a better read and a lot less pushy.

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