The original manuscript of Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road"-- a scroll that extends 119 feet, 8 inches-- has now been rolled to display the second portion of the text. The scroll will be adjusted once more on April 9 to reveal the final portion of the manuscript, giving repeat visitors to the Lilly Library the opportunity to examine the entire text.

What has been described as one of the most significant books of the Beat generation, the original manuscript of "On the Road" was typewritten single-spaced onto ten, 12-foot lengths of paper taped together. According to most biographers, Kerouac wrote the book during a 21-day period of non-stop writing, finishing it on April 22, 1951.

The manuscript is on exhibit at the Lilly Library through May 10, 2003. The exhibition in the Lilly Library at Indiana University Bloomington is the first stop of a coast-to-coast tour of the unique manuscript, provided courtesy of the James Irsay family.