How did Jack Kerouac use dashes and long sentences in his prose?

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Portrait of Jack Kerouac, American novelist and poet, looking over his shoulder in a collared shirt, circa 1965. — Jack Kerouac American novelist and poet Jack Kerouac, c. 1965.

Jack Kerouac’s unique prose style was rooted in his philosophy of "spontaneous prose," which sought to capture the "truth of the moment" without the perceived dishonesty of revision.1

The Use of Dashes

Kerouac intentionally eschewed conventional punctuation in favor of the dash. He described the "vigorous space dash" as a tool to separate "rhetorical breathing," drawing a direct analogy to a jazz musician taking a breath between musical phrases. This technique allowed him to manipulate the perception of time in his writing, moving away from linear, prosaic structures toward a more poetic flow.1

Long Sentences and Structure

Kerouac viewed his writing process as similar to a horn player blowing one long, continuous note. His long, sweeping sentences were designed to be governed by sound—specifically the effects of alliteration and assonance—rather than traditional grammatical rules. While some critics labeled his work as "grammatically derelict," Kerouac maintained that his organization was systematic, developed in a "semi-trance" state where he would riff on a central image until reaching a plateau, at which point he would initiate a new "jewel center" and continue the process.1