Brautigan, Richard

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Richard Gary Brautigan, 1935-1984

American novelist, short story writer, and poet.

  • 1935: Born 30 January in Tacoma, Washington, oldest child of Bernard F. Brautigan and Mary Lull Brautigan. Very little is known about his childhood, which he refused to discuss. Some sources say that Brautigan never knew his father, others say that his father never knew of him until Brautigan's death was announced
  • 1955?: Allegedly committed to Oregon State Hospital after throwing rock through police station window, diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic and given shock therapy treatments. Left home soon after release from hospital.
  • 1955 - 1958? : Moved to San Francisco and became involved with the Beat Movement.
  • 1956: The Second Kingdom, first known poem, published.
  • 1957: Married Virginia Dionne Adler in Reno, Nevada, 8 June.
  • 1957 - 1958? : The Return of the Rivers, a single poem, published.
  • 1958: The Galilee Hitch-Hiker, a single poem, published
  • 1959: Lay the Marble Tea published, collection of twenty-four poems.
  • 1960: The Octopus Frontier published. Daughter Ianthe born, 25 March.
  • 1961: Spent summer camping with family in Idaho's Stanley Basin and wrote Trout Fishing in America on a portable typewriter alongside the trout streams.
  • 1964: A Confederate General from Big Sur published. Involved with the Diggers and the hippies of San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district and often gave away copies of his poems on the streets.
  • 1966 - 1967 : Poet-in-residence at California Institute of Techonolgy .
  • 1967: Trout Fishing in America published All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace published.
  • 1968: Awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. In Watermelon Sugar and The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster published. Please Plant This Book also published: eight seed packets, each containing seeds, with poems printed on the sides.
  • 1969: Trout Fishing in America,The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster, and In Watermelon Sugar published in collection.
  • 1970: Rommel Drives On Deep into Egypt published. Divorced from Virginia, 28 July, in San Francisco. The Abortion: An Historical Romance 1966 published.
  • 1971: The Revenge of the Lawn published.
  • 1972 - 1973? : Establishes a residence in Pine Creek, Montana, just north of Yellowstone National Park. Allegedly refuses to deliver lectures or grant interviews for the next eight years.
  • 1974: The Hawkline Monster published.
  • 1975: Willard and His Bowling Trophies and Loading Mercury with a Pitchfork published.
  • 1976: Sombrero Fallout published.
  • 1977: Dreaming of Babylon published.
  • 1978: June 30th, June 30th published. The Abortion,The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster,Trout Fishing in America,Rommel Drives On Deep into Egypt, and A Confederate General from Big Sur banned in Union Hills High School in northern California. ACLU case decided in favor of Brautigan and his publisher.
  • 1979: At December meeting of Modern Language Association in San Francisco, participated in a panel discussion concerning Zen and Contemporary Poetry with Gary Snyder,Philip Whalen,Robert Bly, and Lucien Stryk.
  • 1980: The Tokyo-Montana Express published. Begins lecture/promotion tour.
  • 1982: So the Wind Won't Blow It All Away published.
  • 1984: Commits suicide in house in Bolinas, California. Body discovered 25 October.

Chronology excerpted from Richard Brautigan: an Annotated Bibliography, by John F. Barber. (McFarland & Company, Inc., 1990)

For more information on Richard Brautigan see the website Brautigan Bibliography and Archive: The Works and Life of Richard Brautigan, by John F. Barber at http://www.brautigan.net/

From the guide to the Richard Brautigan Papers, 1942-2003, (bulk 1958-1984), (The Bancroft Library.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Donald Allen Collection, 1930-2005 Mandeville Special Collections Library
referencedIn Larry Fagin Papers., n.d., 1958-1977. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
referencedIn Black Stone Press : papers and ephemera, 1974-1996 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Woodberry Poetry Room (Harvard College Library) poetry readings, 1931- (ongoing). Woodberry Poetry Room, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn New Yorker records New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn American Review records, 1967-1977 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Gary Snyder Papers, 1910-2003;, (1945-2002 bulk) University of California, Davis. General Library. . Dept. of Special Collections
referencedIn Barry Miles Papers, 1958-1990 Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Bookstore Press Records., undated, 1967-1976. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
referencedIn Esquire, Inc. Records, 1933-1977 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Loewinsohn, Ron. Papers, 1953-1976 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Angel Hair Archive, 1965-1973 Fales Library & Special Collections
referencedIn Lew Welch Papers, 1943-1971 University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
referencedIn The Review of Contemporary Fiction/Dalkey Archive Press : records, 1980-1990 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn David Bromige Correspondence, 1966-1970 University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
creatorOf Richard Brautigan Papers, 1942-2003, (bulk 1958-1984) Bancroft Library
referencedIn Targ Editions Archive, 1953-1994 (Bulk 1979-1985) Fales Library & Special Collections
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
correspondedWith Abbot, Keith person
correspondedWith Ace corporateBody
correspondedWith Allen, Don person
associatedWith Allen, Donald, 1912-2004 person
associatedWith American Review corporateBody
associatedWith Angel Hair Books (New York, N.Y.). corporateBody
associatedWith Armstrong, John person
associatedWith Baizley, Doris person
correspondedWith Beh, Siew Hwa person
correspondedWith Bergsma, Stuart Jr. person
correspondedWith Bev person
correspondedWith Bliss, Earl person
correspondedWith Blue Shield corporateBody
correspondedWith Bookstore Press. corporateBody
associatedWith Borregard's Museum corporateBody
correspondedWith Brann, Helen. person
correspondedWith Brautigan, Virginia (Ginny) person
correspondedWith Bromige, David person
correspondedWith Brown, William person
correspondedWith Candy Pie person
correspondedWith Carpenter, Don person
correspondedWith Carroll, John person
associatedWith Chaney, Lon, Jr. person
correspondedWith City Lights corporateBody
correspondedWith Conner, Bruce person
correspondedWith Conrad, Barnaby person
correspondedWith Coutts corporateBody
correspondedWith Creeley, Robert person
correspondedWith Delacorte Press corporateBody
correspondedWith Dell Books corporateBody
correspondedWith Dolger, Jonathan person
correspondedWith Doss, John and Margot person
associatedWith Esquire, Inc. corporateBody
correspondedWith Essex Junction High School English Class corporateBody
correspondedWith Fagin, Larry. person
correspondedWith Ferguson, Hoffman, Henn, and Mandel corporateBody
correspondedWith Ferlinghetti, Lawrence person
correspondedWith Foodym, Daralyn person
correspondedWith Froebel School corporateBody
correspondedWith Fujimoto, Kozuko person
correspondedWith Fuller, Blair person
correspondedWith Gatz, William Hjortsberg person
correspondedWith Gentry, Curt M. person
associatedWith Greenwald, Ted person
correspondedWith Grove Press corporateBody
correspondedWith Gui person
correspondedWith Guy person
associatedWith Hallwall's Gallery corporateBody
correspondedWith Hartnet person
correspondedWith Helen Brann Agency corporateBody
correspondedWith Herndon, Anthony person
correspondedWith Hess, Oliver G. person
correspondedWith Hodge, Richard person
associatedWith Hollo, Anselm person
correspondedWith Holly person
correspondedWith Horowitz, Michael person
correspondedWith Huppert and Swindlehurst, P.C. corporateBody
correspondedWith Joanne person
correspondedWith John Hartnett person
associatedWith John O'Brien person
correspondedWith Judy Faulkner person
correspondedWith Keio Plaza Hotel corporateBody
associatedWith Koch, Peter. person
correspondedWith Krementz, Jill person
correspondedWith LaVoie, Steve person
correspondedWith Lepper, Gary person
associatedWith Loewinsohn, Ron. person
correspondedWith Loewinsohn, Ron and Kitty person
correspondedWith Loie person
correspondedWith Luke, Carole A. person
correspondedWith MacAdams, Lewis person
associatedWith Malecto, Miking person
correspondedWith Margaret person
correspondedWith Maverick Realty corporateBody
correspondedWith Melissa person
correspondedWith Metzger, Claudia person
correspondedWith Michi person
associatedWith Miles, Barry, 1943- person
correspondedWith Moscoso, Victor person
correspondedWith New Yorker Magazine, Inc corporateBody
correspondedWith Park County Montana. County Assessor corporateBody
correspondedWith Paul person
correspondedWith Robert P. Mills, Ltd. corporateBody
correspondedWith Roberts, Flora person
correspondedWith Robin person
associatedWith Rosenthal, Jonah person
correspondedWith Sam person
correspondedWith Scherer, G. person
correspondedWith Seacat, Ellen person
correspondedWith Seymour Lawrence Incorporated corporateBody
correspondedWith Sharon person
correspondedWith Shawn, Joel person
correspondedWith Simon and Schuster corporateBody
correspondedWith Snyder, Gary person
correspondedWith Sterling person
correspondedWith Stubhaug, Arild person
correspondedWith Swenson, Ianthe person
correspondedWith Swindlehurst, Joe person
correspondedWith Toby person
correspondedWith United Agencies corporateBody
correspondedWith Upton, Charles person
correspondedWith U.S. Information Service corporateBody
correspondedWith Valerie person
correspondedWith Virginia (Brautiganfirst wife) person
correspondedWith Ward, Ray (Ward Dunham). person
correspondedWith Welch, Lew person
correspondedWith Whalen, Philip person
associatedWith Woodberry Poetry Room (Harvard College Library). corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1935-01-30

Death 1984-09-25

Americans

English

Information

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