video intro
system overview
listening to IRC
Kerouac’s ear is writing new novels. The teleprinter machine is monitoring chatrooms for writing that passes for Kerouac. When text of sufficient Kerouac-ness is found, it’s typed onto a long roll of paper. Over the course of approximately three weeks the roll is filled and a new one is loaded into the machine. Completed rolls are archived for further study. The chatrooms which provide the text have names like #allnitecafe, #depression, #football, #24_7, #bonghit, and #dude. These chatrooms are populated 24/7 by hundreds of people from around the globe. Tens of thousands of lines of text are considered each day. Only a tiny percentage of the writing makes it onto the scroll. The style of the text is measured using Bayesian techniques. A model of Kerouac’s style was prepared from his existing writings. Contemporary writings were used to build models of writing which is not-Kerouac. This is not unlike using filters to identify undesirable email. Over time enough text is gathered to compose new novels with the same form and style as manuscripts for On the Road and The Subterraneans.
38 years after his death we have a way to locate Kerouac’s style using computers. Kerouac’s Ear monitors chatrooms for text with the same signature as Kerouac’s prose. By using something called a Bayesian filter, we can find text that machines find 100% Kerouac. Whenever a line of chat text is found, it is passed to the teletype to be typed on the long paper roll. Over time enough text will be gathered to compose a new novel with the same form and style as manuscripts for On the Road and The Subterraneans. Here is an example: Here is some text from October, 2007:
Yeah. Well it is time for me to go to bed. It was good seeing everyone again and meeting some new people. Ill be back tomorrow. I’ve silver tounged a few girls into doing things they normally wouldn’t.. So do all of us. Back when I was only concerned with some fun, I was the sliver tounged devil.. Pm it. No, problem, I didn’t know.. Im bored someone talk to me. No not really i’ll talk about anything except if you live on drama and want. I gave up that.. Im just gonna roll a joint and drink my bear. …. Drink my bear. Yeah. Im drinking bear. I’ve been drinking a lot of sam adams double bock lately. I might clear out. Dont like bourbon zu? Oh. I drink beer cause it takes longer. He doesnt mean the drink! He just enjoys jack. I like beer much much more than liquor. Im dont really like beer. Beer goes with food for me. I drink it for the same reason as sorrow.