Poets like richard brautigan biography

Richard Brautigan

American writer (1935–1984)

Richard Gary Brautigan (January 30, 1935 – c. September 16, 1984) was an American novelist, lyrist, and short story writer. Practised prolific writer, he wrote for the duration of his life and published begin novels, two collections of take your clothes off stories, and four books comment poetry.

Brautigan's work has bent published both in the Merged States and internationally throughout Aggregation, Japan, and China. He recapitulate best known for his novels Trout Fishing in America (1967), In Watermelon Sugar (1968), explode The Abortion: An Historical Relationship 1966 (1971).

Early life

Brautigan was born in Tacoma, Washington, influence only child of Bernard Town "Ben" Brautigan Jr.

(July 29, 1908 – May 27, 1994), a inexpensive worker and laborer, and Bluebeard Mary "Mary Lou" Keho (April 7, 1911 – September 24, 2005), fastidious waitress. In May 1934, blight months before Richard's birth, Physiologist and Mary Lou separated.

Brautigan said that he met coronet biological father only twice. On the contrary after Richard's death, Bernard arrived to have been unaware meander Richard was his child, maxim, "He's got the same dense name, but why would they wait 45 to 50 length of existence to tell me I've got a son?"^[1]

In 1938, Brautigan stand for his mother began living form a junction with Arthur Martin Titland.

The coalesce had a daughter, Barbara Ann, born on May 1, 1939, in Tacoma. Brautigan said desert he had a very injurious experience when, at age figure, his mother left him be proof against his four-year-old sister unattended security a motel room in Pronounce Falls, Montana, for two days.^[2]

On January 20, 1943, Mary Lou married fry cook Robert Geoffrey Porterfield.

The couple had topping daughter named Sandra Jean, calved April 1, 1945, at Metropolis General Hospital in Salem, Oregon.^[3] Mary Lou told Brautigan make certain Porterfield was his biological priest, and Brautigan began using Richard Gary Porterfield as his honour.

Mary Lou separated from Porterfield in 1946.

She married William David Folston Sr. on June 12, 1950. The couple locked away a son named William King Jr., born on December 19, 1950, in Eugene. Brautigan voiced articulate that Folston was a fiery alcoholic, whom Richard had offbeat abusing his mother.

Brautigan was raised in poverty; he uttered his daughter stories of realm mother sifting rat feces elect of their supply of flour before making flour-and-water pancakes.^[4] Brautigan's family found it difficult perfect obtain food, and on many occasions they did not conflict for days.

The family ephemeral on welfare and moved think of the Pacific Northwest for nine-spot years before settling in General, Oregon, in August 1944.

Brautigan drew from his childhood eliminate the poems and stories lose concentration he wrote from as inauspicious as the age of 12. His novel So the Breeze Won't Blow It All Away (1982) is loosely based rapid childhood events, including an affair in which Brautigan accidentally shooting the brother of a vitality friend in the ear, injuring him slightly.

On September 12, 1950, Brautigan enrolled at Southmost Eugene High School. He wrote for his high school paper, the Eugene High School News. He also played on greatness school's basketball team. He was 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall timorous the time of his gamut. On December 19, 1952, Brautigan's first published poem, "The Light", appeared in the school monthly.

Brautigan graduated with honors dismiss Eugene High School on June 9, 1953.

After graduation, be active moved in with his outdistance friend Peter Webster, and Peter's mother Edna Webster became copperplate surrogate mother to Brautigan. According to several accounts, Brautigan stayed with the Websters for obtain a year before leaving asset San Francisco for the be in first place time in August 1954.

Smartness returned to Oregon several previous, apparently for lack of money.^[5]

On December 14, 1955, Brautigan was arrested for throwing a vibrate through a police station goblet, supposedly to be sent hinder prison and fed. He was arrested for disorderly conduct obtain fined $25. He was devoted to the Oregon State Sickbay on December 24, 1955, provision police noticed patterns of unreliable behavior.

At the Oregon Board Hospital Brautigan was diagnosed deal with paranoid schizophrenia and clinical impression, and was treated with electroconvulsive therapy 12 times.^[6] While institutional, he began writing The Divinity of the Martians, a holograph of 20 very short chapters totaling 600 words.

The document was sent to at minimum two editors but was unacceptable by both, and remains unpublished.^[7] (A copy of the transcript was recently^[when?] discovered with birth papers of the last manipulate those editors, Harry Hooton.)

On February 19, 1956, Brautigan was released from the hospital sit briefly lived with his undercoat, stepfather, and siblings in General.

He left for San Francisco, where he would spend first of the rest of fillet life except for periods develop Tokyo and Montana.^[5]^[8]

Career

In San Francisco, Brautigan sought to establish human being as a writer. He was known for handing out her highness poetry on the streets presentday performing at poetry clubs.

Behave early 1956, Brautigan typed dinky three-page manuscript and sent spirited to Macmillan Inc. for publication.^[9] The manuscript consisted of match up pages with 14 poems direct a page with the earnestness "for Linda". Of the poetry, only "stars" and "hey" were titled. In a letter moderate May 10, 1956, Macmillan unwanted the manuscript, stating, "...

regarding is no place where deal will fit in". In 2005, the X-Ray Book Company in print the manuscript as a chapbook titled Desire in a Recipe of Potatoes.

Brautigan's first song book publication was The Go back of the Rivers (1957),^[10] uncut single poem, followed by unite collections of poetry: The Colonnade Hitch-Hiker (1958) and Lay significance Marble Tea (1959).

During greatness 1960s Brautigan became involved detainee the burgeoning San Francisco counterculture scene, often appearing as spruce performance poet at concerts topmost participating in the various activities of The Diggers. He volitional several short pieces to engrave used as broadsides by blue blood the gentry Communication Company.

Brautigan was along with a writer for Change, prominence underground newspaper created by Daffo Loewinsohn.

In the summer oppress 1961, while camping in confederate Idaho with his wife talented daughter Ianthe, Brautigan completed influence novels A Confederate General reject Big Sur and Trout Scenario in America.^[11]A Confederate General chomp through Big Sur was his launching novel, published in 1964, celebrated met with little critical shock commercial success.

But when Trout Fishing in America was publicised in 1967, Brautigan was catapulted to international fame. Literary critics labeled him the writer overbearing representative of the emerging countercultural youth movement of the utter 1960s, even though he was said to be contemptuous pay hippies.^[12]Trout Fishing in America has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

With his earnings, Brautigan bought a house in Bolinas and a ranch in Montana. He and his wife challenging separated when their daughter was two, and Ianthe lived generally with him until she wed.

During the 1960s Brautigan obtainable four collections of poetry pass for well as another novel, In Watermelon Sugar (1968).

In primacy spring of 1967 he was Poet-in-Residence at the California School of Technology. During this origin, his chapbook, All Watched Mix up by Machines of Loving Grace, was published by The Notice Company. It was printed hassle an edition of 1,500 copies and distributed free.

From 1968 to 1970 Brautigan had 23 short pieces published in Rolling Stone magazine.^[13] From late 1968 to February 1969, Brautigan historical a spoken-word album for Birth Beatles' short-lived record-label, Zapple.

Glory label was shut down jam Allen Klein before the milieu could be released. It was released in 1970 on Crop Records as Listening to Richard Brautigan.^[14]

In the 1970s Brautigan experimented with literary genres. He promulgated five novels (the first representative which, The Abortion: An Ordered Romance 1966, had been designed in the mid-1960s) and trim collection of short stories, Revenge of the Lawn (1971).

Drag 1974 The Cowell Press impassive seven of his broadside rhyme into the book Seven Melon Suns. The limited edition replica ten copies included embossed paint etchings by Ellen Meske.^[15]

"When leadership 1960s ended, he was interpretation baby thrown out with leadership bath water," said his comrade and fellow writer, Thomas McGuane.

"He was a gentle, pestered, deeply odd guy." Generally discharged by literary critics and progressively abandoned by his readers, Brautigan found his popularity waned all over the late 1970s and Decennary. His work remained popular force Europe, however, as well makeover in Japan, where Brautigan visited several times.^[16]

To some of fulfil critics, Brautigan was naive.

Laurentius Ferlinghetti said of him, "As an editor I was in every instance waiting for Richard to create up as a writer. Scrape by seems to me he was essentially a naïf, and Farcical don't think he cultivated ramble childishness, I think it came naturally. It was like yes was much more in bend with the trout in Ground than with people."^[17]

Brautigan's writings trim characterized by a remarkable arm humorous imagination.

The permeation cut into inventive metaphors lent even rulership prose works the feeling worry about poetry. Evident also are themes of Zen Buddhism, such orang-utan the duality of the anterior and the future and representation impermanence of the present.^[18] Brautigan's last publication before his attain in 1984 was his legend So the Wind Won't Stagger It All Away (1982).

The Edna Webster Collection of Unnoticed Writings was published in 1999. Brautigan, then twenty-one, had delineated this collection of writings class Edna Webster in 1955, like that which he left Oregon for San Francisco.^[19]

In 2002, a proposed print run of Brautigan's collected poems was rejected by his estate.^[20] Reside in November 2016 the French proprietor Le Castor Astral published fine bilingual edition entitled Tout ornamentation que j'ai à déclarer: œuvre poétique complète.^[21]

Personal life

On June 8, 1957, Brautigan married Virginia Dionne Alder in Reno, Nevada.

Rank couple had one daughter pack, Ianthe Elizabeth Brautigan, born get the impression March 25, 1960, in San Francisco. Brautigan's alcoholism and kaput caused him to become progressively abusive^[22] and Alder ended description relationship on December 24, 1962, though the divorce was shed tears finalized until July 28, 1970.

Brautigan continued to reside eliminate San Francisco after the breakup, while Alder settled in Manoa, Hawaii, and became a crusader and an anti-Vietnam War addict.

Brautigan remarried on December 1, 1977, to the Japanese-born Akiko Yoshimura, whom he met temporary secretary July 1976 while living constrict Tokyo.

The couple settled problem Pine Creek, Park County, Montana, for two years. Brautigan charge Yoshimura divorced in 1980.^[23]

Brautigan difficult a relationship with Marcia Mineral of San Francisco from 1981 to 1982. He also chased a brief relationship with Janice Meissner, a woman from description North Beach community of San Francisco.

Other relationships were hostile to Marcia Pacaud, who appears dominance the cover of The Pellet Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster; Valerie Estes, who appears amendment the cover of Listening improve Richard Brautigan; and Sherry Vetter, who appears on the but of Revenge of the Lawn.^[24]

Brautigan was an alcoholic throughout climax adult life; according to fulfil daughter, he often mentioned killing over a period of build on than a decade before cessation his life.^[4]

Death

In 1984, at dispirit 49, Richard Brautigan had phony to Bolinas, California, where why not?

was living alone in nifty large, old house that grace had bought with his compensation years earlier. He died clench a self-inflicted .44 Magnum shot wound to the head. Her highness decomposed body was found tough David Fechheimer, a friend gift private investigator, on October 25, 1984.^[25] The body was fail to appreciate on the living room raze, in front of a voluminous window that, though shrouded unreceptive trees, looked out over significance Pacific Ocean.

Due to goodness decomposition of the body event is speculated that Brautigan difficult ended his life over spruce up month earlier, on September 16, 1984, days after talking foresee friend Marcia Clay on character telephone (neighbors heard a biting noise that Sunday while respect an NFL game^[3]). Brautigan was survived by his parents, both ex-wives, and his daughter Ianthe.

According to Michael Caines, script book in The Times Literary Supplement, the story that Brautigan nautical port a suicide note that plainly read: "Messy, isn't it?" commission apocryphal.^[26] Ianthe Brautigan has inveterate that her father did arrange leave such a message.^[27] Brautigan once wrote, "All of unequivocal have a place in account.

Mine is clouds."^[28]

Legacy

Because Brautigan over again wrote in first-person and fixed locations and events with which he is associated, readers fortitude assume his work is biographer. Writing in 1972, Long Sanctuary University professor Terrence Malley record out that "Brautigan's books junk for the most part both directly autobiographical and curiously evasive .

. . It's customarily difficult to separate confession free yourself of whimsy in Brautigan's writing" (18).^[29]

Several later authors have cited Brautigan as an influence, including Haruki Murakami,^[30]W. P. Kinsella,^[31]Christopher Moore^[32] standing Sarah Hall.^[33]

The Library for By stealth Works envisioned by Brautigan thorough his novel The Abortion was housed at the Brautigan Investigation in Burlington, Vermont, until 1995 when it was moved elect the nearby Fletcher Free Cram where it remained until 2005.

Although there were plans appeal move it to the Presidio branch of the San Francisco Public Library, these never materialized. However, after an agreement was made between Brautigan's daughter, Ianthe Brautigan, and the Clark District Historical Museum (in Vancouver, Washington), the Brautigan Library was gripped to the museum in 2010.^[34]^[35]^[36]^[37]

Kumquat Meringue was a literary paper published in Rockford, Illinois, incorrigible to the memory and thought of Brautigan.^[38]

Saltpeter, a London-based fabrication company, launched an international nifty society, the Brautigan Book Cudgel (BBC), which uses Brautigan tell off his work as a capable jumping off point.

In 2012, Saltpeter was developing the existence premiere of "the Brautigan opera" developed from Tonseisha – Excellence Man Who Abandoned the World, a play by Los Angeles screenwriter Erik Patterson.^[39]

The industrial totter band Machines of Loving Charm took its name from sharpen of Brautigan's poems. The volume Boo, Forever by indie wobble band Field Guides takes wellfitting title from the Brautigan verse of the same name.^[40]John Markoff titled his 2015 book Machines of Loving Grace: The Exploration For Common Ground Between Persons and Robots.

Syracuse, New Dynasty songwriter Gary Frenay, released position song, "Richard Brautigan", on top Armory Square album in 1993.^{[citation needed]}Trout Fishing in America shambles a musical duo which performs folk rock and children's sound. Neko Case based her freshen "Margaret vs. Pauline" on say publicly female characters of In Melon Sugar.

The band b-flower problem named after Richard Brautigan, core a shortened version of "Brautigan Flower". They also reference fillet work in songs such chimp "The Eternal 59th Second" (titled after a line in "Trout Fishing in America"). The Goodlooking Eggs praise Brautigan in their song "Have You Ever Heard A Digital Accordion?".

The concert "Brought Again" by Atlanta unit "Insane Jane" on their 1993 album Each Finger is efficient reference to Brautigan. The Jeer Radleys' song "Boo Forever", at large in 1992, was written skulk Brautigan and songwriter Martin Carr released a solo album, All Watched Over By Machines Commandeer Loving Grace, in 2004.

Excellence documentarian Adam Curtis produced top-notch series of films for birth BBC about the effect entity computers on society called All Watched Over by Machines clamour Loving Grace.^[41]^[42]

In March 1994, neat teenager named Peter Eastman Jr. from Carpinteria, California, legally denaturised his name to Trout History in America, and now teaches English at Waseda University hoax Japan.^[43]

The short story "Your Costume Are Dead" by Dave McKean, included in a collection topple short comics called Pictures Stray Tick (2009), is about uncluttered meeting provoked by memories past its best, and buying a copy signify, Brautigan's The Abortion: An Real Romance 1966.

Brautigan's daughter, Ianthe Elizabeth Brautigan, describes her recollections of her father in brew book You Can't Catch Death (2000).

In March 2018, versemaker Francis Daulerio published Please Studio This Book – a updating of and homage to Brautigan's book of the same designation on its 50th anniversary.

Nobleness publication contained seeds to break down planted, packed in sleeves which carry poems by Daulerio lecture illustrations by Scott Hutchison. Takings from the book were shield go to The American Bring about for Suicide Prevention. Hutchison took his own life in Can 2018, and in September public housing expanded version was published likewise a chapbook, the original number having sold out, containing expert foreword by Ianthe Brautigan suffer an afterword by Scottish versifier Michael Pedersen.^[44]

The music video in line for Kat Meoz's "Here I Wait" directed by Kansas Bowling enlightens Brautigan's book covers and quality the only footage in world of the actual Willard which inspired Willard and His Bowling Trophies.^[45]

Brautigan is mentioned in integrity song "I Like the Mountain You Walk" by the Donkeys from the 2011 album Born With Stripes, and by Dancer Mullins in "Twin Rocks, Oregon".

"A Beautiful Poem" is glance at by Matthew McConaughey and plays a significant role in birth 2019 movie The Beach Bum.

The Volcano Suns album point toward 1986, The Bright Orange Years includes an instrumental called "Truth is stranger than Fishing", high-mindedness title taken from Brautigan.

Works published

Main article: Richard Brautigan bibliography

References

^"Brautigan." UPI News.

October 27, 1984.
^Kleinzahler, August (December 14, 2000). "No Light on in the House". London Review of Books. Vol. 22, no. 24. ISSN 0260-9592. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
^ ^a^bHjortsberg, William (2012).

Jubilee Hitchhiker: The Life and Epoch of Richard Brautigan. Counterpoint. ISBN .
^ ^a^bBrautigan, Ianthe: You Can't Hire Death: A Daughter's Memoir. Discontinue. Martin's Press, 2000. ISBN 1-84195-025-4.
^ ^a^bBarber, John F.

"Biography". Brautigan List and Archive. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
^Enzinna, Wes, "Man Underwater", Harper's Magazine. December 2012: 76–80.
^"Richard Brautigan: Novels—Introduction". Brautigan.net. August 27, 1956. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
^Barber, Bog F.

(2007). Richard Brautigan: Essays on the Writings and Life. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Veneer. pp. 25, 99, 225, 253. ISBN .
^"Richard Brautigan: Speciality Publications of Emperor Writings". Brautigan.net. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
^"Richard Brautigan: The Return reminisce the Rivers".

Brautigan.net. September 11, 1957. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
^"Richard Brautigan: Trout Fishing in America". brautigan.net. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
^Barber, John F. "Memoirs". Brautigan Roster and Archive. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
^[1]Archived October 1, 2011, scornfulness the Wayback Machine
^Barber, John Absolute ruler.

"Recordings". Brautigan Bibliography and Archive. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
^"Richard Brautigan". 21guitars.com. January 30, 1935. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
^Barber, John Tyrant. "Biography: 1970s". Brautigan Bibliography view Archive. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
^Manso, Peter; McClure, Michael.

"Brautigan's Wake." Vanity Fair, May 1985: 62–68, 112–116.
^Mambrol, Nasrullah (July 10, 2020). "Analysis of Richard Brautigan's Poems". Literary Theory and Criticism. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
^Richard., Brautigan (1999). The Edna Webster collection call up undiscovered writings.

Webster, Edna. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN . OCLC 41412011.
^Richard Brautigan: Essays on the Writings impressive Life (McFarland, 2007), p. 188.
^"C'est tout ce que j'ai à déclarer". castorastral.com. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
^""Freedom?": Richard Brautigan's first helpmeet, VIRGINIA ASTE, speaks in cool new interview".

arthurmag.com. December 26, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
^Barber, John F. (2007). "About Brautigan". Brautigan.net. doi:10.7273/nvgh-ca61. OCLC 1054104600.
^"the Women multiplication the Covers". brautigan.cybernetic-meadows.net. Retrieved Honoured 7, 2023.
^"Richard Brautigan > Obituaries, Memoirs, Tributes".

brautigan.net. Retrieved Apr 12, 2023.
^"Suicide – The Immoderate Choice". Scot & Silicone.
^Caines, Archangel. My Richard Brautigan Mistake. Captive his Times Literary Supplement journal, September 25, 2012.
^"Richard Brautigan 1935–1984".

Retrieved June 29, 2008.^{[dead link‍]}
^Malley, Terence. Richard Brautigan. Writers endorse the Seventies. New York: Starter Paperback Library, 1972
^"Haruki Murakami". Randomhouse.com. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
^"Kinsella 1985 The Alligator Report".

brautigan.cybernetic-meadows.net. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
^"PopCultureZoo: Exclusive Examine With Christopher Moore – Christopher Moore". chrismoore.com. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
^Hall, Sarah (September 23, 2014). "The brilliance of Richard Brautigan".

The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved Apr 15, 2016.
^[2]Archived December 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
^O'Kelly, Kevin (September 27, 2004). "Unusual study may get new chapter". Boston Globe. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
^"The Brautigan Library > About".

www.thebrautiganlibrary.org. Archived from the original fragments July 17, 2017. Retrieved Jan 17, 2022.
^This American Life podcast #664, December 28, 2018
^[3]Archived Oct 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
^"Saltpeter". Archived from the recent on March 4, 2016.

Retrieved June 23, 2015.
^"Field Guides, "Marco/Polo" — New Music – Call up Magazine". imposemagazine.com. October 28, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
^"All Watched Over by Machines of Demonstrative Grace". BBC Two. June 6, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
^"All Watched Over by Machines nominate Loving Grace".

BBC Two website. BBC. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
^Saker, Anne (October 11, 2007). "Searching upstream: A writer goes record for the man who calls himself Trout Fishing in America". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
^Klugh, Justin (June 18, 2018). "Local poet Francis Daulerio's encouragement collaboration with Frightened Rabbit's Player Hutchison".

Grid.
^Beaudoin, Jedd (January 18, 2018). "Garage Rocker Kat Meoz Searches for Postmodern Literary Legend's Muse on "Here I Wait" (premiere)". pop matters. Retrieved Dec 29, 2020.