Lowell’s most famous beat generation writer and poet, Jack Kerouac, is one of the most important American authors of the 20th century. Born in Lowell on March 12, 1922, Jack Kerouac is best known for his literary classic, On the Road, a novel that captured the restless spirit and promise of the time, continues to inspire readers today.
Kerouac’s words have influenced readers, writers, musicians, and artists for more than 50 years since he died in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1969. He is buried in Edson Cemetery in Lowell. The Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival, founded in 1985, is celebrated in early October every year. It grows bigger every year.
Jim Sampas, literary executor for the Jack Kerouac Estate, recently joined us to talk about all things Kerouac. The interview has been slightly edited for clarity.
Henry Santoro: I think the big story currently happened last May when country music superstar Zach Brian purchased the historic church, St. Jean Baptiste Church in Lowell, solidifying its transformation into the Jack Kerouac Center. You have been involved in this from the very beginning. What’s the back story and where are we now?
Jim Sampas: The back story is that a couple of people, colleagues of mine, came up with the idea of having that be the new Jack Kerouac Center — Dave Ouellette and Sylvia Cunha, my two partners in crime on this whole thing. I visited it and I looked at it and I saw the space and just thought it was truly remarkable, the history behind it and that he was an altar boy there. His sister went there and his funeral service was held there with Allen Ginsberg and many others in attendance. I feel something truly special about the church and that it needed to be the Jack Kerouac Center.
Santoro: It’s a magnificent building. I mean, it resembles the churches of Europe.
Sampas: It certainly does. It’s quite big when you think about it. And I think it would be the perfect place for concerts. But yes, the architecture is uncanny. It’s beautiful and quite unique. I don’t think that there are very many spaces for folks to go to an entertainment venue, or a concert that are that special.
Santoro: It was acquired thanks to Zach Brian in May. Where are we now? When do you foresee this opening and what do you need to do to get it open?
Sampas: Zach bought it. We sent out an SOS, if you will. We were down to the wire on the owner of the building. We had great conversations with Zach, and he really loved the church and felt that it needed to be preserved in this way and not made into condos, which was the plan. He bought the church for $3.4 million and now we’re just gathering support. We have a restaurateur who’s interested. We’ve got a recording studio we’re hoping to build with plenty of folks interested in that. But what I’ve found in the past, having done Kerouac related things for instance with Dior and worked with some of the biggest artists in the world such as Eddie Vedder, Michael Stipe and Patti Smith and so many others like Kate Bosworth. There’s no doubt my mind will be able to raise the funds to get this going.
Santoro: And you’ve already started a merch.
Sampas: Thanks to Zach, again. Yeah, the Zach and Jack t-shirts. He was very much involved in that whole process.
Santoro: So, a recording studio, performance space, restaurant possibility, what else is going to go in there?
Sampas: The museum, which Zach is the most passionate about. There will be a museum space, which will be multimedia, and we’ll have some artifacts, but we plan to have folks that have been influenced by Jack to also make appearances there.
Santoro: For instance, writers and artists. Who are some of them?
Sampas: Matt Dillon is a huge fan. Hunter S. Thompson, as you know, is a gigantic fan of Jack and wouldn’t have created that style of writing gonzo journalism if it wasn’t for Jack.
Santoro: I drank Chivas Regal at the Woody Creek Tavern.
Sampas: My god, what a story. I’ve got to hear more about that!
Santoro: The Chivas snow cone is what it was.
Sampas: Holy Moses, that sounds about right.
Santoro: Are there funds and grants that you can get through from the state or the community itself?
Sampas: Yes, in fact, we have got an incredible team of folks in the Jack Kerouac Foundation, which is a separate organization from the Jack Kerouac estate, and they’re presently working on that. So yes, we’re working all angles and trying to get this thing going.
Santoro: Do you know what ever happened to the scroll “On the Road” that the late Jim Irsay owned? Is that still part of his collection?
Sampas: So, it is, yes. This is now-public knowledge, that they are going to create an auction of his artifacts. That was one of the most incredible collections of material that anybody ever possessed.
Santoro: Jim Sampas is the Literary Executor of the Jack Kerouac Estate and CEO of the Jack Kerouac Foundation in Lowell. Jim, such a pleasure.