Mad Ones

Selected Works by former Jack Kerouac Project or Orlando Writers-in-Residence

The name of this series is inspired by the famous Kerouac Quote: The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing but burn, burn, burn like fabulous roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww!" — Jack Kerouac The ongoing series will contain 3-5 selections of writing from past residents of the Kerouac House located in Orlando, Fl.

At 1418 ½ Clouser Street in sleepy College Park, a writer typed away his final days of anonymity. During his brief stay in Orlando in 1957, Jack Kerouac published On the Road, which established his fame and made him the champion of the young, mad, and free. He also completed The Dharma Bums. The history of the house remained unknown until 1996, when journalist Bob Kealing wrote an article about it for the Orlando Sentinel, the foundation for his book Kerouac in Florida: Where the Road Ends. In 1998, a generous band of literary philanthropists saved the house from likely demolition, and in the creative spirit of Jack Kerouac founded a writers-in-residence program to host emerging writers, giving them time to write and respite from the road. We host four writers per year of the highest literary merit, providing accommodation and food, along with the crucial time and space to create. During each residency, the writer shares work in progress at public readings. We also partner with local charities to mentor young writers and foster a lifelong love of the written word. We are working to establish and participate in literary cultural events, building a vital network of local writers and readers.