Richard Brautigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Brautigan
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| Born | Richard Gary Brautigan January 30, 1935 Tacoma, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | c. September 16, 1984 (aged 49) Bolinas, California, U.S. |
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| Literary movement | Postmodernism |
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Richard Gary Brautigan (January 30, 1935 – September 16, 1984) was an American writer. He wrote novels, poems, and short stories. Brautigan wrote many books during his life. He published ten novels, two short story collections, and four poetry books. His work was popular in the United States and other countries like Europe, Japan, and China. He is most famous for his novels Trout Fishing in America (1967) and In Watermelon Sugar (1968).
Contents
Richard Brautigan's Early Life
Brautigan was born in Tacoma, Washington. He was the only child of Bernard Frederick "Ben" Brautigan Jr. and Lulu Mary "Mary Lou" Keho. His parents separated before he was born.
Richard grew up in a family that often struggled. They sometimes found it hard to get enough food. His family moved around the Pacific Northwest for nine years. They finally settled in Eugene, Oregon, in 1944.
Brautigan started writing poems and stories when he was just 12 years old. His novel So the Wind Won't Blow It All Away (1982) is based on things that happened in his childhood.
High School Years
In 1950, Brautigan started at South Eugene High School. He wrote for the school newspaper, the Eugene High School News. He also played on the school's basketball team. He was very tall, about 6 feet 4 inches.
His first published poem, "The Light," appeared in the school newspaper in 1952. Brautigan finished high school with honors in 1953. After graduating, he lived with his best friend Peter Webster and Peter's mother, Edna. Edna became like a second mother to him.
In 1954, Brautigan moved to San Francisco for the first time. He returned to Oregon a few times when he needed money. In 1956, he left Oregon for good and settled in San Francisco. He spent most of his life there, but also lived in Tokyo and Montana for periods.
Brautigan's Writing Career
In San Francisco, Brautigan worked hard to become a writer. He would give out his poems on the streets. He also performed his poetry at clubs. In 1956, he sent some poems to a publisher, but they were not accepted at first. Later, in 2005, these poems were finally published as a small book.
First Books and Counterculture
Brautigan's first poetry book was The Return of the Rivers (1957). This was a single long poem. He then published two more poetry collections: The Galilee Hitch-Hiker (1958) and Lay the Marble Tea (1959).
In the 1960s, Brautigan became part of the San Francisco counterculture. This was a movement of young people who questioned traditional ways of life. He often performed his poems at concerts. He also wrote short pieces for an underground newspaper called Change.
Rise to Fame
In 1961, Brautigan wrote two novels: A Confederate General from Big Sur and Trout Fishing in America. His first novel, A Confederate General from Big Sur, was published in 1964. It did not become very popular.
However, when Trout Fishing in America was published in 1967, Brautigan became famous around the world. Many critics saw him as a voice for the youth movement of the 1960s. Trout Fishing in America has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.
With the money he earned, Brautigan bought a house in Bolinas, California, and a ranch in Montana.
Later Works and Style
During the 1960s, Brautigan published four more poetry collections. He also wrote another novel, In Watermelon Sugar (1968). In 1967, he was a special poet at the California Institute of Technology. That year, his poetry book All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace was given away for free.
From 1968 to 1970, Brautigan had many short pieces published in Rolling Stone magazine. He also recorded a spoken-word album called Listening to Richard Brautigan in 1970.
In the 1970s, Brautigan tried different kinds of writing. He published five novels and a collection of short stories, Revenge of the Lawn (1971).
Over time, Brautigan's popularity in the United States decreased. However, his work remained popular in Europe and Japan. He visited Japan several times.
Brautigan's writing is known for its amazing and funny imagination. He used many creative metaphors, making his stories feel like poems. His work also showed ideas from Zen Buddhism, like how the past and future connect and how the present is always changing. His last book before he passed away in 1984 was So the Wind Won't Blow It All Away (1982).
Some of his writings that were not published during his life were collected in The Edna Webster Collection of Undiscovered Writings (1999).
Personal Life
On June 8, 1957, Brautigan married Virginia Dionne Alder. They had a daughter named Ianthe Elizabeth Brautigan, born in 1960. They separated in 1962 and divorced in 1970. Brautigan continued to live in San Francisco.
He married again on December 1, 1977, to Akiko Yoshimura from Japan. They lived in Montana for two years. Brautigan and Yoshimura divorced in 1980.
In 1984, Richard Brautigan was living alone in Bolinas, California. He was 49 years old. His body was found by a friend on October 25, 1984. He was survived by his parents, both ex-wives, and his daughter Ianthe.
Brautigan's Legacy
Many readers feel that Brautigan's books are like his own life story. This is because he often wrote from his own point of view and included places and events he knew. It can be hard to tell what is real and what is made up in his writing.
Several famous authors have said that Brautigan influenced their work. These include Haruki Murakami, W. P. Kinsella, Christopher Moore, and Sarah Hall.
Brautigan once imagined a "Library for Unpublished Works" in one of his novels. A real library inspired by this idea was created. It moved to the Clark County Historical Museum in Vancouver, Washington, in 2010.
Kumquat Meringue was a literary magazine that honored Brautigan's memory and work. There is also a creative group called the Brautigan Book Club (BBC). This group uses Brautigan's work as a starting point for new creative projects.
Many bands and artists have been inspired by Brautigan. The industrial rock band Machines of Loving Grace took its name from one of his poems. The band Trout Fishing in America is a musical duo. Neko Case based her song "Margaret vs. Pauline" on characters from In Watermelon Sugar.
In 1994, a teenager legally changed his name to Trout Fishing in America. He now teaches English in Japan.
Brautigan's daughter, Ianthe Elizabeth Brautigan, wrote a book about her memories of her father called You Can't Catch Death (2000).
In 2018, poet Francis Daulerio created a new version of Brautigan's book Please Plant This Book. This new book also contained seeds for readers to plant.
Brautigan is mentioned in songs by the Donkeys and Shawn Mullins. One of his poems, "A Beautiful Poem," is read in the 2019 movie The Beach Bum.
Works Published
See also
In Spanish: Richard Brautigan para niños
