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“Dylan Sings to Kerouac”
Here’s Paul Marion reading his poem, “Dylan Sings to Kerouac”, at Kerouac Park during this past weekend’s Jack Kerouac Literary Festival in Lowell, Massachusetts. (Video posted on YouTube by “spannedy”)
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Don’t know about anyone else, but I was blown away by the range of events and activities going on in Lowell over the weekend. From the unbelievable range of folks in town talking about beats, books and such to an event on Sunday which attracted about 70 people at noon time to hear a lecture on the coming of the Civil War in 1861, to a massive cancer walk sponsored by St’s Hospital, to a regatta on our wonderful river, which attracted a massive number of people from up and down the East Coast.
On Saturday as I was walking home from some Kerouac events I saw a large tour bus over by Boarding House Park and folks were getting on. Being curious, I asked a couple of people where they were from and learned they were part of a group on a trip put together by the Medford Historical Society who spent the day in Lowell. They were shocked in a good way by what they saw on their walk around and asked me lots of questions about the city.
Remarkable stuff I’d say and a weekend that reflects what is right about the city. But, as is my want, don’t forget in the fall brilliance the icebergs just below the water – foreclosures as Dick Howe continues to point out are not going away while there are simply not enough good jobs being created to put a dent in the region’s unemployment numbers. Municipal budgets tighten, school budgets go on Slim Fast, and whose going to plow my street so I can get up Christian Hill in another few weeks when the snow flies?
Nothing will slow the city’s roll, chill the good vibe, like a continued recession and in some parts of the city economic data that suggests depression.
In this election season listen carefully and ask candidates what they are going to do about job creation. And, when they answer do not accept the standard mumbo jumbo about tax cuts and helping small businesses create jobs. It is a knee jerk solution that simply advertises the candidate’s too shallow thinking on this most important subject. Dems and Reps alike are at fault here.
Finally, listen carefully when they talk about rolling back the sales tax, if they do, and be ready to ask them how they intend to contiune to offer decent education to kids growing up in our older industrial cities.