Posted on 03/11/2022 9:09:02 AM PST by Borges
LOWELL — Jack Kerouac was born March 12, 1922, and Lowell’s native son would go on to inspire the Beat Generation.
To officially mark the life and legacy of Kerouac’s work, three federal lawmakers are introducing a resolution to remember Kerouac in advance of his 100th birthday on Saturday. U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Third, of Westford, will shepherd the resolution in the House. Democrat Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren will sponsor the resolution in the Senate.
In an interview Wednesday, Trahan said the Mill City can be seen throughout Kerouac’s writings. She recalls Kerouac’s description of the St. Jean Baptiste Church as “the ponderous chartreuse cathedral of the slums.”
Located on Merrimack Street, St. Jean Baptiste Church is where Kerouac attended Mass as a child and where his funeral was held in 1969. The site is now eyed as the location for a museum celebrating Kerouac.
“I think anyone who grows up in Lowell can tell you just how much of an institution Jack Kerouac is, not just because he was born and raised there before going on to do great things,” Trahan said. “I think it’s because like many of us, he loved Lowell personally and that love never faded, even as his work grew to nationwide acclaim.”
As a student at Lowell High School, Trahan remembers her first introduction to Kerouac’s work. She said his writing started with how he viewed the world around him and how a large part of his identity was centered around Lowell.
Kerouac was the son of French-Canadian immigrants, his father born into a family of potato farmers. Historians at UMass Lowell estimate 31,000 French-Canadian immigrants came to Lowell to work in the textile mills between 1860 and 1890.
Farmers in Canada had no roads to get produce to market, the British royal family owned much of the farmland, existing farms were divided and salaries in the factories were lower than in the United States.
“He carried his accent with them into his late teens. He would go on to not only serve our country during World War II, but also hone his skills as a prolific novelist that would eventually lead to his leadership of the Beat Generation movement,” Trahan said. “I think like previous efforts to commemorate his many contributions, this resolution is as much about honoring Jack Kerouac on what would be his 100th birthday as it is about honoring our city and our community.”
For Markey, the Kerouac resolution is important because it recognizes the “cultural force” the author was.
“Massachusetts has always been at the forefront of the social and literary movements of our time, and as leader of the Beat Generation literary movement, Jack Kerouac is one of our most shining examples. His influence reaches from his hometown of Lowell, Mass. around the globe, and I’m proud to join Congresswoman Trahan and Sen. Warren in honoring his legacy,” Markey said in a statement.
After dropping out of Columbia University, where he played on a football scholarship, Kerouac would briefly cover sports for The Sun in 1941. He would go on to serve as a Merchant Marine during World War II, receiving an honorable discharge.
In a statement, Warren highlighted Kerouac’s military service and how his work inspired a movement.
“Jack Kerouac bravely served our nation during World War II and helped ignite a literary and social movement through his work, and he never lost touch of his local Lowell, Mass. roots,” Warren said. “I’m glad to support this resolution with Congresswoman Lori Trahan and Sen. Markey for his 100th birthday.”
The call for a congressional resolution builds on the lawmakers’ efforts last year to create a commemorative Kerouac stamp. The stamp is currently under review by the U.S. Postal Service’s Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee.
Additionally, the resolution comes as a year of events celebrating Kerouac take place, hosted by the Jack Kerouac Estate and Kerouac @ 100 Committee.
“Visions of Kerouac” opens March 18 at the Boott Cotton Mills Gallery and will be open from noon to 5 p.m. daily through April 15.
The exhibit sees the return of the 120-foot, original scroll of Kerouac’s novel “On the Road” to Lowell. According to his estate, the scroll is “one of the most extraordinary and highly valued manuscripts in American literary history.” The scroll will be on loan from Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay’s private collection of Americana relics.
I wonder if she knows he lived the remainder of his life and died a devout Catholic.
with the world teetering on the brink of ww3... this is what Lady Trahan is spending her time on?
mind boggling
If I recall correctly from ‘On the Road’ Kerouac was raised by his aunt? I don’t recall him mentioning his parents in the book.
The guy may well be a great literary figure, and worthy of literature-based awards. But he was also a druggie and a drunk, so I’m not really sure why Congress should grant him particular honors just as a citizen.
Jack was born in 1922. It was a very different Western World 100 years ago. Royal families throughout Europe began losing power and influence.
1922 was only a few years after the
Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Russia abolished it’s monarchy and adopted a socialist form of government. Lenin seized power and destroyed the tradition of Czarist rule. Bolsheviks later becoming the communists of the soviet union.
He was not raised by his aunt. He wrote in his books that he lived with his aunt, but it was his mother. Some say he changed her to his aunt out of embarrassment at being something of a Mama’s Boy.
OK thanks. Makes sense.
99% of Congress is evil, corrupt or just deeply stupid.
Rome is about to burn and they are looking for their fiddles.
But the fundamental issue is that a majority of the voters are evil, corrupt or stupid / ignorant.
Good times.
This seems to be really important to do at this time.
Maybe the Democrats can sponsor a bill to honor the guy who writes the traffic signs.
“On the Road” was a pretty good book, but I enjoyed Louis Lamour’s work much more.
The liberal senators involved should celebrate his life by killings themselves
Oops. I skimmed again. I thought it said Kavorkian.
My Bad. I read On the Road while was On The Road after college. Good book.
“If I recall correctly from ‘On the Road’ Kerouac was raised by his aunt? I don’t recall him mentioning his parents in the book.”
That was the factionalized part.
His “Aunt” was his mother (a widow).
His character in the book was Italian, he was French Canadian.
For his work.
(Whether that’s valid is a separate issue).
And most of all for tourism.
An angry man....I’ve watched a number of interviews with him
Like Faulkner
Drank a lot and an acquired taste
I saw him on some PBS show taped probably in late 60s, may have even been firing line with Bill Buckley. Drunk as a skunk.
“Dean had a sweater wrapped around his ears to keep warm. He said we were a band of Arabs coming in to blow up New York.” -On The Road (1957)
“But he was also a druggie and a drunk,”
Bill Clinton &
Hillary Clinton
Saw Truman Capote on the Tonight Show with Carson. Capote repeated his famous criticism of Kerouac, saying there was a difference between writing and typing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.