The next stop on our road trip was to Lowell, MA, an incredibly interesting and historic American city. Birthplace of early American Industrialism and
Jack Kerouac (to whom this post is mostly dedicated), we just had to explore this varied city scape with our own eyes.
Are you ready for a nice, hefty dose of literary tourism?
Being an ardent admirer and fan of Jack Kerouac's work for many years, I'd come to know his references to Lowell in many of his books. Born in Lowell, Kerouac lived here off and on for many years, and it also stands as his final resting place - he was buried there after his death at age 47 on October 21, 1969. Kerouac is pictured, in his prime, on the right in the photo below:
Below is the cover of
On The Road, Kerouac's most famous novel, published in 1958, and my all-time favorite work of 'fiction' (this picture was taken while I was re-reading the classic while driving "on the road" to Lowell). I lightly quote the word fiction here, because Kerouac's work is largely autobiographical, and documents his own experiences, and interactions with friends.
For privacy and copyright issues, he was urged to change the names in his books to aliases for each character. Kerouac is pictured on the right (below) with friend Neal Cassady (left). In the novel, Kerouac is represented as protagonist/narrator Sal Paradise, with Cassady as the energetic and frayed Dean Moriarty.
Shortly after we'd arrived in the city and were attempting to find our bearings, we stumbled upon
Kerouac Park, a beautifully touching tribute near the centre of the city. Constructed in the shape of a mandala and cross, the park speaks to Kerouac's interest in Buddhism and Catholicism, and speaks to his lifelong spiritual search. The park also features inscriptions of passages from many of his books on the stoic sculpture. The Jack Kerouac Commemorative, which includes the mandala and overall park, was erected in 1988, with his estranged daughter Jan Kerouac, at the unveiling.
The beginning and closing passages from On the Road.
Also strewn about the city are various Kerouac hotspots (or watering holes), places where Kerouac perused, shopped, worked, or meandered. Above is
The Worthen, the oldest pub in Lowell, where Kerouac frequented often, as well as one Edgar Allen Poe (it is rumored that the bar is haunted by both men). I think for that reason alone, we decided not to venture inside.
The Sun building for Lowell's main newspaper is also located in the center of the city. For a time before his notoriety as a Beat novelist, Kerouac wrote articles for the publication.
Below is
Kerouac's birthplace, located at 9 Lupine Road in the West Centralville section of the city. I was pleased to see that there is a lovely plaque affixed to the front of the house that reads "Jack Kerouac's Birthplace" which recognizes the building as a historic site. Kerouac was born in the second floor apartment on March 12, 1922, according to Kerouac, in his book
Doctor Sax, "at five o’clock in the afternoon of a red-all-over supper time.”
This is another of Kerouac's childhood homes. 34 Beaulieu was referenced as "Sad Beaulieu" in his book
Visions of Gerard, due to the death of his older brother Gerard at the age of nine, an event that permeated and haunted Kerouac for the rest of his life.
At
the Mill Girl Exhibit, part of the Lowell National Historical Park, we stumbled across another testament to Kerouac, his life, and Beat roots, with this display of his personal backpacking/hitchiking gear (including duffel bag, socks, pots and pans), typewriter, photograph by Allen Ginsberg, and early editions of some of his novels.
A few more stops on our Kerouac tour of the city included a stop at
Lowell High School, where Kerouac attended, and I'm sure caused a ruckus with his energetic visions and lust for life. There have since been editions to the building, but this clock was in place at the time Kerouac attended school.
When I was taking this picture, a woman walked by and said, "taking a picture of Kerouac's clock?" which made us smile. Lowell locals are more than aware of Kerouac's position as a tourist attraction, but there is definitely a warm embrace of his work. What I found perhaps most interesting was that there is not one cohesive museum or exhibit of his work, rather it is strewn about the city in different locales; maybe this is more fitting, as one can truly experience the city as Kerouac did, searching for these destinations.
These beautiful doves of peace with the slogan "Create Peace" could be found a few places throughout the city. This one was found outside the steps of the high school:
And lastly, the final resting place of an incredible writer. Located in
Edson Cemetery, Kerouac's grave is as humble as the man himself. Under sparse patches of grass, and a simple marker for "Ti Jean" (his French-Canadian familial nickname), Kerouac rests in the city that gave him life, love, sadness, and the varied, overall experience of existence. "He Honored Life" could not be a more fitting tribute and testament.
I placed the small bouquet of wildflowers, which I had picked from a patch of grass, to further honor the man, and his influential work. I took a few moments to grasp our experiences in the city, and how his final resting place, in essence, became the sum of his parts, his incredible yet troubled life, and how all of the on the road adventures and traveling expeditions documented in his books would rest with him here for all eternity.
To familiarize yourself with Kerouac, I highly recommend watching this segment from The Steve Allen Show, from 1959. Apart from Allen's highly entertaining jazz-approach to interviewing (dig that piano playing), we're given a glimpse at Kerouac discussing his inventive writing style, and also him discussing and reading an excerpt from
Visions of Cody and the final excerpt from
On The Road (his intonations suit the jazz music perfectly). You can also grasp a sense of Kerouac's rise to celebrity with the success of the novel, and see his personal grappling with this position (oh, and also see what a handsome devil he once was):
"I think of Dean Moriarty...I think of Dean Moriarty..."
