Jack Kerouac, born Jean-Louis Lebris de Kerouac in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1922, was a significant figure in American literature and a central figure in the Beat Generation. His upbringing as the son of Quebecois parents who migrated to New England for employment shaped his experiences and later influenced his writing. The death of his brother, Gerard, during his childhood had a profound impact on him and inspired the work Visions of Gerard.
Kerouac attended Catholic and public schools during his youth and eventually received a football scholarship to Columbia University in New York City. It was at Columbia where he met other key members of the Beat Generation, including Allen...
