Lowell Celebrates Kerouac! festival ends on a high note
Mood:  happy
Topic: Literary Events

Today marked the end of the 21st annual Lowell Celebrates Kerouac! festival, which this year honored the 50th anniversary of Kerouac's novel, 'The Dharma Bums.'

The festival is always a family reunion here in Kerouac's native city, Lowell, Mass., with friends from near and far who have come to be a part of my life over the years since I first became involved with the festival in 1992. So the end can be bittersweet as everyone goes their separate ways, to live their journeys 'on the road.'

Part of the 'bittersweet' aspect this year was David Amram's earlier-than-usual departure In recent years he has stayed for the duration of the festival, playing numerous shows and sharing his joy and graciousness with everyone. This year he had to leave early however, to play a gig at another Beat festival.

In this photo, he is cookin' up one of his special grooves with poet Lawrence Carradini at the Amram Jam at Caffe Paradiso.

Some of the many friends who came were Lee Kidd and Jessa Piaia of Squawk Coffeehouse fame; poet George Wallace, who gave a reading at this year's commemorative event at Kerouac Park; performance poet Jason Eisenberg, and many more.

This year we enjoyed good weather, another blessing since one can never predict. This year was all the magical beauty of early October in Lowell, with clear skies and a cool breeze.

When the last event was done, Larry and I went for a walk along the Merrimack River, as we often do when the festival ends, to think about Lowell in all its beauty and mystery, as Kerouac might have seen it, and the wonderment that still beats in the heart of this special city.

And now, at 11:59 p.m., Old Angel Midnight Calls!