Jan Kerouac
American novelist (1952–1996)
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Janet Michelle "Jan" Kerouac (February 16, 1952 – June 5, 1996) was an American writer and the only child of beat generation author Jack Kerouac and Joan Haverty Kerouac.
February 16, 1952
Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S.
Jan Kerouac | |
|---|---|
Kerouac in 1983 | |
| Born | Janet Michelle Kerouac February 16, 1952 Albany, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 5, 1996 (aged 44) Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Resting place | Saint Louis De Gonzague Cemetery, Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Relatives | Jack Kerouac (father) Joan Haverty Kerouac (mother) |
Early life and career
Janet Michelle Kerouac was born a few months after her parents separated. Jack Kerouac met his daughter for the first time when she was ten years old, when he took a blood test to prove or disprove his paternity. Jan only met him once more, when she visited him at his home in Lowell, Massachusetts.[1]
In 1964, Jan Kerouac was briefly in a girl group called the Whippets.[2] The group, which consisted of Kerouac, Charlotte Rosenthal, and Bibbe Hansen, released one single, "I Want to Talk to You", a song response to The Beatles' song "I Want to Hold Your Hand". The B-side, "Go Go Go with Ringo", also reflected the Beatlemania of the time. The single did not chart or get much airplay, and the Whippets broke up.[3]
Jan Kerouac lived much of her early life in poverty, sometimes turning to prostitution to survive.[4] She traveled widely, living in South America, Europe, and many different cities in the United States.[4]
Lawsuit
Encouraged by Kerouac biographer Gerald Nicosia, she entered into a lawsuit in the 1990s that claimed the will of Jack's mother, Gabrielle Kerouac, was a forgery, in the hope winning could expand her legal rights to her father's works and physical property. Eventually a court ruled that the will was a forgery, although in practical terms this ruling changed nothing concerning control of the Kerouac estate.[5]
Novels
Death
On June 5, 1996, Kerouac died in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a day after her spleen was removed. She had suffered kidney failure five years earlier and was on dialysis.[8]
Filmography
Bibliography
Books by Kerouac
- Kerouac, Jan (1981). Baby Driver: A Story About Myself (1st ed.). New York City: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0030625386.
- Kerouac, Jan (June 22, 1998). Baby Driver: A Story About Myself (Expanded ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Da Capo Press. ISBN 1560251840.
- Kerouac, Jan (1988). Trainsong (1 ed.). New York City: Henry Holt and Company.
- Kerouac, Jan (August 14, 1998). Trainsong. Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN 1560251654.
- Kerouac, Jan (2000). Parrot Fever. Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN 1560252081. Written in 1992–1993, and published posthumously.
Books about Kerouac
- Nicosia, Gerald (2009). Jan Kerouac: A Life In Memory. Noodlebrain Press. ISBN 978-0615245546.[12]
Further reading
- Barnett, David (7 June 2021). "The beat went on: what happened to Jan Kerouac, Jack's forgotten daughter". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 June 2021. An article published on the 25th anniversary of Jan Kerouac's death.