Some historical items from the collection of late former Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay were auctioned off recently. Among the items sold a few days ago was author Jack Kerouac’s original manuscript for his 1957 novel On The Road, which he famously typed on a single scroll of paper that’s about 120 feet long. It’s quite the piece of history for Kerouac fans, and the new owner is one of the writer’s biggest enthusiasts: Zach Bryan, as Rolling Stone confirmed. Bryan spent $12,135,000 on the item.
It’s not Bryan’s first major Kerouac purchase: Last year, he bought the former Saint Jean Baptiste Church in Kerouac’s hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts, with the intention of turning the space into the Jack Kerouac Center, in partnership with Kerouac’s estate. (The church was also the site of Kerouac’s funeral in 1969.) Bryan intends to display the scroll at the museum.
In a statement, Jim Sampas, Literary Executor of the Estate of Jack Kerouac, said:
“Kerouac admirers will often tell you that after traveling all over the country, Jack would inevitably return to his hometown. In the wake of breaking yet another world record, America’s most influential work will also be coming back to Lowell thanks to our friend Zach Bryan. It was the place where this high school football star’s journey as a writer began, before he used those athletic traits to create this legendary ‘road’ scroll in two and a half weeks. And this return will draw folks from all over the world to our city, to glimpse with their own eyes the manuscript that changed it all. We thank Zach for his understanding of this.”
Lowell City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr. also said, “On behalf of the City of Lowell, we deeply appreciate Mr. Bryan’s commitment to honoring Jack Kerouac’s legacy and his investment in enriching Lowell’s cultural landscape. Bringing these historic works back to their hometown and into the Jack Kerouac Center not only preserves and celebrates our cultural heritage but also strengthens Lowell’s role as a destination for arts, culture, and economic growth.”
Bryan also acquired the original scroll of The Dharma Bums and some of Kerouac’s personal letters.