Apple Pie figures prominently in On the Road. A few years ago, I found numerous recipes online sharing different interpretations of Kerouac’s pie. These recipes were typically prefaced by a brief yet critical reflection on the novel. Through the process of interrogating Kerouac's work, I was struck by the way these recipes ended up reinforcing apple pie as an enduring American icon.

Paradise is a piece that involved me following one of these recipes from Arizona to Ohio. Coinciding with a road trip that I took with my wife and daughter, I gathered ingredients while driving through each of the following states: Arizona (Spices), New Mexico (Flour), Texas (Salt), Oklahoma (Sugar), Arkansas (Crisco), Tennessee (Vanilla), Kentucky (Lemon), Ohio (Apples and Eggs). Upon arriving home in Ohio, I used the ingredients to make an apple pie for my family.