10/06/2026
By Monica Melo

We are delighted to welcome Professor Jean-Christophe (JC) Cloutier from the University of Pennsylvania to UMass Lowell for a special afternoon celebrating Jack Kerouac, the Lowell-born Franco-American writer best known as a central figure of the Beat Generation and author of "On the Road." While Kerouac is usually remembered as an iconic American writer, French — and particularly the French spoken in his Franco-American family — played an important role in his life and writing.

Join us for a Kerouac Double Feature in O’Leary Library, Room 222.

Schedule

  • 3 – 4 p.m.: Steve Edington will present research materials from his book "Kerouac’s Nashua Connection" to the Center for Lowell History Kerouac Archive.
  • 4 – 5:30 p.m.: Visiting guest JC Cloutier will discuss his new book, "Big American Writer: The Bilingual Jack Kerouac," which brings Kerouac’s bilingualism to the forefront of our understanding of his work.

The Double Feature is presented in collaboration with the Center for Lowell History and the Jack and Stella Kerouac Center for the Public Humanities.

For more information, email Mercedes Baillargeon.