Ken Kesey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ken Kesey
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| Born | Ken Elton Kesey September 17, 1935 La Junta, Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | November 10, 2001 (aged 66) Eugene, Oregon, U.S. |
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| Alma mater | University of Oregon |
| Genre | Postmodernism |
| Literary movement | Countercultural |
| Notable works | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962) Sometimes a Great Notion (1964) |
Ken Elton Kesey (born September 17, 1935 – died November 10, 2001) was an American writer. He wrote novels, essays, and short stories. He was also an important person in the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Kesey saw himself as a link between the Beat Generation writers of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s.
Kesey was born in La Junta, Colorado. He grew up in Springfield, Oregon. He finished college at the University of Oregon in 1957. He started writing his famous novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, in 1960. This was after he studied writing at Stanford University. The book became very popular and well-liked when it was published two years later.
After his first book came out, Kesey moved to La Honda, California. There, he started holding fun, creative gatherings with friends. These friends were known as the Merry Pranksters. He also helped the band Grateful Dead when they were just starting out.
Kesey's second novel, Sometimes a Great Notion, came out in 1964. It was a long story about a logging family in Oregon. This book was also a success, though some people had different opinions about it. Kesey thought it was his best work.
Later, Kesey moved back to Oregon. He lived a quiet life with his family in Pleasant Hill, Oregon. He taught at the University of Oregon. He also wrote many articles and stories for magazines like Esquire and Rolling Stone. Some of these writings were put into collections like Kesey's Garage Sale (1973) and Demon Box (1986).
From 1974 to 1980, Kesey published a literary magazine called Spit in the Ocean. It included parts of a novel he was writing and works by other writers. His third novel, Sailor Song, was released in 1992. In his later years, he reconnected with the Merry Pranksters. He also started publishing some of his works online.
Contents
Ken Kesey's Life Story
Early Years and Education
Ken Kesey was born in 1935 in La Junta, Colorado. His parents were dairy farmers. When he was 10, his family moved to Springfield, Oregon. Kesey was a talented wrestler in high school and college. He almost made the Olympic team, but a shoulder injury stopped his wrestling career. He finished high school in 1953. Young Kesey loved reading and movies. He enjoyed stories about heroes and adventure. He also liked to try out magic tricks and hypnotism.
In 1956, while studying at the University of Oregon, Kesey married his high school sweetheart, Norma "Faye" Haxby. They had met in seventh grade. They stayed married until his death and had three children: Jed, Zane, and Shannon.
Kesey first had a football scholarship for college. But he switched to the wrestling team because it was a better fit. He was a very good wrestler. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1957 with a degree in speech and communication. He became more interested in literature classes during college. His teacher, James B. Hall, helped him discover famous writers.
After college, Kesey spent some summers trying to be an actor in Los Angeles. He also published his first short story. In 1958, he received a special fellowship to study writing at Stanford University. During his five years there, he made close friends with other writers.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
While at the University of Oregon in 1957, Kesey wrote a novel called End of Autumn. It was about college athletes. This book was never published, but a part of it helped him get into Stanford.
Kesey also wrote another unpublished novel called Zoo. It was about beatniks living in North Beach in San Francisco.
The idea for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest came to Kesey when he worked at a Veterans' Hospital. He worked the night shift and often talked with the patients. He felt that these patients were not truly "insane." Instead, he thought society had pushed them away because they didn't fit in. The novel was published in 1962 and was an instant success. In 1963, it was made into a successful stage play. Later, in 1975, it became a famous movie. The film won many important awards, including Best Picture.
Kesey was involved in the film at first, but he left production early. He said he never watched the movie because he disagreed with some things. However, his wife, Faye Kesey, said he was generally happy that the movie was made.
The Merry Pranksters
In 1964, Kesey's second novel, Sometimes a Great Notion, was published. He needed to go to New York for it. So, Kesey, Neal Cassady, and other friends, who called themselves the Merry Pranksters, took a cross-country trip. They traveled in a school bus they named Furthur. Many videos were taken during this trip. Some of this footage was later used in a 2011 film called Magic Trip.
After the bus trip, the Pranksters held creative parties and gatherings around the San Francisco Bay Area. Many of the Pranksters lived at Kesey's home in La Honda. In New York, Kesey met famous writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. The novel Sometimes a Great Notion was also made into a film in 1970, starring Paul Newman.
In 1965, Kesey moved back to his family farm in Pleasant Hill, Oregon. He lived there for the rest of his life. During this time, he wrote many articles, books, and short stories.
Losing His Son
On January 23, 1984, Kesey's 20-year-old son, Jed, was in a serious car accident. Jed was a wrestler for the University of Oregon. The team's van crashed on an icy highway. Two days later, Jed was declared brain dead. His parents decided to donate his organs to help others.
Jed's death greatly affected Ken Kesey. He later said that Jed was a victim of policies that had cut funding for the wrestling team. At a concert, Kesey spoke about his son and thanked people who had helped create a memorial for Jed near their home. In 1988, Kesey donated money to help the school buy a proper bus for the wrestling team.
Later Life and Passing
In 1992, Kesey was diagnosed with diabetes. In 1994, he went on tour with some of the Merry Pranksters. They performed a musical play he wrote about the future called Twister: A Ritual Reality. Many old and new friends joined them on this tour.
Kesey mostly stayed at his home in Pleasant Hill, Oregon. He continued to share his artistic works online. He also held special gatherings that were like the old Prankster events. In 1997, Kesey and the Pranksters even appeared on stage with the band Phish at a concert.
In June 2001, Kesey gave a speech at The Evergreen State College's graduation ceremony. His last major writing was an essay for Rolling Stone magazine. He wrote it after the September 11 attacks, calling for peace.
Death
In 1997, Ken Kesey's health began to decline. He had a stroke that year. On October 25, 2001, Kesey had surgery on his liver to remove a tumor. He did not recover from the surgery and passed away several weeks later, on November 10, at the age of 66.
His Legacy
The film Gerry (2002) is dedicated to Ken Kesey. There is a place called Kesey Square in downtown Eugene, Oregon, named in his honor.
Ken Kesey's Books
Here are some of Ken Kesey's well-known books:
- —— (1962). One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. New York: Viking Press. ISBN 978-0-451-16396-7. OCLC 895037361.
- —— (1964). Sometimes a Great Notion : a novel. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-004529-1. OCLC 813638027.
- —— (1973). Kesey's Garage Sale. New York: Viking Press. ISBN 978-0-670-41268-6. OCLC 899072134. (A collection of essays)
- —— (1986). Demon Box. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-008530-3. OCLC 911911149. (A collection of essays and short stories)
- Levon, O. U. (1990). Caverns : a novel. Introduction by Ken Kesey. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-012208-4. OCLC 20131987. (This book was written by Kesey and his writing students at the University of Oregon)
- —— (1990). The Further Inquiry. photographs by Ron Bevirt. New York: Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-83174-6. OCLC 20758816. (A play and photographic record)
- —— (1990). Little Tricker the Squirrel Meets Big Double the Bear. illustrated by Barry Moser. New York: Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-81136-6. OCLC 21339755. (A children's book)
- —— (1992). Sailor Song. New York: Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-83521-8. OCLC 25411564. (A novel)
- ——; Babbs, Ken (1994). Last Go Round. New York: Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-84883-6. OCLC 28548975. (A Western novel)
- ——; Babbs, Ken (1994). Twister: A Ritual Reality in Three-Quarters Plus Overtime if Necessary. (A play)
- —— (2003). Kesey's Jail Journal : Cut the M******** Loose. Introduction by Ed McClanahan. New York: Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-87693-8. OCLC 52134654. (A collection of his journals)
See also
In Spanish: Ken Kesey para niños
