PBA Galleries

Poster printed in black, illustrated with a b&w photograph. 57.5x41.5 cm (22½x16").

Signed and inscribed by John Sampas, Jack Kerouac's brother-in-law: "For Jeff [Weinberg of Water Row Press] from John Sampas." The photo used on the poster is courtesy of Sampas. Lowell Celebrates Kerouac! is a yearly festival that began in 1985.

John Sampas, Jack Kerouac’s brother-in-law ended up controlling the late author’s literary assets and getting many of them published. A polarizing figure in the world of Beat literature disciples, Mr. Sampas fought long legal wars over the legitimacy of the will of Kerouac’s mother, Gabrielle, who outlived her son by four years. That will was judged a forgery, but the estate of Kerouac’s late wife, Stella Sampas Kerouac, was validated by 2004 court order. This solidified Mr. Sampas’ authority over the works of Kerouac and freed him to publish and republish his books.