Fragment #6

She hustles back to her place on the counter. The stools are full. Girls, officeboys, grayfaced bookkeepers. ‘Chicken sandwich and a cup o caufee.’ ‘Cream cheese and olive oil sandwich and a glass of butter milk.’

‘Chocolate sundae.’ 

‘Egg sandwich, coffee and doughnuts.’ ‘Cup of boullion.’ ‘Chicken broth.’ ‘Chocolate icecream soda.’ People eat hurriedly without looking at each other, with their eyes on their plates, in their cups. Behind people sitting on stools those waiting nudge nearer. Some eat standing up.

(Dos Passos, Manhattan Transfer, p.283-4)

Hipster Narrative #5 - The typical facebook jabberings of panicky literature students while adventuring On The Road.

RedFeltHatGirl: should not be awake and reading On the Road at 3am... somehow the wine and caffeine seem to have worked together beautifully.

ThatBlondeGirl [morning response to RFHG]: I woke up to my alarm an hour ago with the book underneath me. So basically I took Kerouac to bed, but didn't bother to finish him off ;)

Pretty much every one of my course friends/acquaintances have been fighting with Jack Kerouac's On The Road all week. I am in the same boat. I've not come to the end yet. I've been attempting to reach that final destination for over two years now.

Tonight I will finish it. I will get there. It has to be done, it's the last c20th American Lit and Culture seminar of term tomorrow. And the last Good Bye to our Inspirational Mentor.

Gotta get there. Kerouac, you're a fucking prick.