Book I, Part I - Desolation in Solitude: Chapters 8 - 13 Summary

Kerouac recalls learning how to roll cigarettes in substandard paper during days in the Army. A sergeant gave the recruits notebooks of paper in which to record the presence of various aircraft. The paper was often used for rolling cigarettes. Kerouac yells out for the arrival of the men who carry the supplies. The author jots a one-line poem about his eyes.

Kerouac whiles away the nighttime hours by playing a made up version of solitaire based on baseball. Invented by Kerouac and cousin Lionel, the two main teams are the Pittsburgh Plymouths and the New York Chevvies. The author goes into great detail about the game in play, naming all the key players, their positions, and scores. Kerouac shows the depths of his childhood...