Franco-American Ghosts: The lost brother ; Jean-Louis Kerouac.
A Half-American Boyhood: La Salle de Mort ; A Catholic education ; Pawtucketville ; Football hero ; First love.
An Uprooting: Manhattan ; The summer of Sebastian ; Columbia ; The escape.
The War: At sea ; Edie Parker.
The Libertine Circle: The season of Lucien ; Birth of a symbolist ; Apartment ; Benzedrine weekends ; A father's death.
Postwar: Enter Neal Cassady ; The road ; Reaching California ; Ozone Park.
"White Ambitions" : The conquest of Manhattan ; The summer of visions and parties ; Enter John Clellon Holmes ; "The rudeness of being" .
"Rain and Rivers" : "Wither thou goest in thy shiny car at night? ; A change in luck ; Continental divide ; The edge of success ; The French Canadian older brother.
The "Rush of Truth" : The unwritable road novel ; The girl with the innocent and pure eyes ; "The voice is all" ; The road opens up ; Deep form.
Interior Music: Vivions of Neal ; Tranced fixations ; Reves.