Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 12 (1991) Winner
Ken Kesey
ケン・キージー
Ken Kesey
Pen Names:
O.U. Levon（Pseudonym used for a collaborative class novel (Caverns) authored with his graduate workshop）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1935-09-17 （La Junta, Colorado, U.S.）
- Died
- 2001-11-10 （Eugene, Oregon, U.S.） age 66
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Springfield, Oregon (grew up) → La Honda, California (residence during 1960s) → Pleasant Hill, Oregon (later life)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Short story writer, Essayist, Poet
- Active Years
- 1957-2001
- Affiliations
- Beta Theta Pi (fraternity)
- Influenced By
- Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Beat Generation (general influence)
- Influenced
- Grateful Dead (mentored and influenced), Countercultural figures and the 1960s hippie movement
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Oregon | — | School of Journalism and Communication (speech and communication) | BA | 1953–1957 | United States |
| Stanford University Creative Writing Center (non-degree) | — | Creative writing (Woodrow Wilson Fellow) | — | 1958–1961 | United States |
University of Oregon
School of Journalism and Communication (speech and communication)
Degree:
BA
Period:
1953–1957
Year of Graduation:
1957
Country:
United States
Active wrestler; received the Fred Low Scholarship
Stanford University Creative Writing Center (non-degree)
Creative writing (Woodrow Wilson Fellow)
Period:
1958–1961
Year of Graduation:
1961
Country:
United States
Studied in Stanford's creative writing milieu as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow; formative period for his first major novel
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Harper-Saxton Prize | First novel in progress (Zoo, unpublished) | — | — | 受賞 |
Harper-Saxton Prize
1960
Work:
First novel in progress (Zoo, unpublished)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1962 Novel (social realism / anti-institutional themes)Set in a psychiatric hospital, the novel depicts the clash between a rebellious protagonist and an oppressive institutional regime. Kesey's hospital work and drug-experimentation experiences informed the book.
Institution vs. individualSanity and madnessAnti-authoritarianism
Adaptations
- [Film] One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest / Miloš Forman (1975)
- [Stage play] One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (play) / Dale Wasserman (1963)
Sometimes a Great Notion
1964 Novel (family epic / modernist influences)An epic about an Oregon logging family. It polarized critics and readers on release; Kesey regarded it as his magnum opus.
FamilyLabor and communityModern American hardships
Adaptations
- [Film] Sometimes a Great Notion / Paul Newman (1970)
Kesey's Garage Sale
1973 Essay collectionCollection of essays and reportage; includes travel writing and assorted pieces.
TravelPersonal reminiscenceCultural observation
Demon Box
1986 Essays and short storiesA collection of essays and short stories collecting experiences and observations from various travels and events.
ReminiscenceObservations on American culture
Sailor Song
1992 NovelA later novel published in the early 1990s that received mixed reviews.
Local communityChange and memory
Bibliography
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- Sometimes a Great Notion
- Kesey's Garage Sale
- Demon Box
- Caverns (O.U. Levon, collaborative class novel)
- The Further Inquiry / Little Tricker the Squirrel Meets Big Double the Bear / Last Go Round / Twister (including collaborations)
- Kesey's Jail Journal
Adaptations
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975 film, dir. Miloš Forman)
- Sometimes a Great Notion (1970 film, dir. Paul Newman)
- The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (Tom Wolfe, nonfiction account of the Merry Pranksters)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Postmodern-influenced narrationMix of countercultural colloquial voice and reportage
- Recurring Motifs
- Conflict between institution and individualAmbiguity of madness and sanityLocal American communities and labor
Health
-
Stroke1997Began decline in health and limited later activities
-
Diabetes1992–Affected health management in later years
-
Liver tumor (hepatocellular carcinoma)2001（手術と合併症）Underwent surgery in 2001 but did not recover from complications; led to death
Legacy
A prominent writer linked to the 1960s counterculture; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has enduring cultural and critical influence. Through the Merry Pranksters he influenced music and youth culture.
Archives
- University of Oregon (Ken Kesey papers)
In Popular Culture
- Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test documenting the Merry Pranksters
- Film adaptation of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) winning major Academy Awards
- Documentaries such as Magic Trip (2011) featuring Merry Pranksters footage
- Kesey Square in Eugene, Oregon named in his honor
Quotes
-
I was too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a hippie.
Source: Interview with Robert K. Elder (1999) (1999)
Trivia
- Served as a subject in drug experiments associated with CIA Project MKULTRA (allegedly without his informed consent)
- Faked his own suicide in 1965 after a marijuana arrest and fled to Mexico for a time
- Led the Merry Pranksters and organized Acid Tests, collaborating with the Grateful Dead
- His son Jed died in a van accident in 1984; Kesey contributed to memorial and support efforts
- Fathered a daughter, Sunshine Kesey, with Merry Prankster Carolyn 'Mountain Girl' Adams; Sunshine was raised largely by Adams and her family