Jack Kerouac’s New Headstone in Edson Cemetery in Lowell, Massachusetts
Colmer Monument Works and HeadstoneHub recently teamed up to take on an exciting project, marking a true landmark for one of Lowell, Massachusetts most famous writers: Jack Kerouac. His most famous book, On the Road, was written in just three short weeks in April 1951 and depicted his travels across America. The New York Times hailed it as "the most beautifully executed, the clearest and the most important utterance yet made by the generation Kerouac himself named years ago as 'beat,' and whose principal avater he is." The Modern Library has ranked On the Road as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
The Boston Globe recently wrote a very nice piece about Jack and our work. You can read it here: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/09/30/new-jack-kerouac-monument-lowell-the-road-life/HiVN6JQvqbde3nPyJAWKJN/story.html. We wanted to share some information about Jack, his book "On the Road," and some fun facts you may not have known.
Jack Kerouac was born and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts.
He is burred in Edson Cemetery.
His stone can be found six headstones in from Seventh Avenue and three headstones in from Lincoln Avenue within Edson Cemetery.
The Beat Generation, to which Jack Kerouac's On the Road is one of the best known examples, was a group of American post-World War II writers in the 1950's who embraced the rejection of received standards, a rejection of materialism, and alternative lifestyles.
Jack's held several jobs before becoming a writer. He worked at The Lowell Sun where he was a sports journalist. He was in the U.S. Merchant Marines, U.S. Navy (for a very short period of time), and worekd int he food and construction businesses.
Jack Kerouac's first book was not On The Road, but in fact The Town and the City.
Bob Dylan and many other famous celebrities have made multiple visits to the gravesite of Jack Kerouac.
Here are two other nice articles that recently came out speaking of Jack Kerouac's new headstone, crafted by Colmer Monument Works and HeadstoneHub.
Fox News article "New memorial arises at Jack Kerouac's gravesite in hometown of Lowell:" http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2014/10/01/new-memorial-arises-at-jack-kerouac-gravesite-in-home-town-lowell/
Lowell Sun article "For Kerouac, etched in Stone:" http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_26640733/kerouac-etched-stone?source=rss