Richard Brautigan

Best known for his novel Trout Fishing in America, American writer Richard Gary Brautigan (1935–1984) published eleven novels, ten poetry collections, and two story collections, as well as five volumes of collected work, several nonfiction essays, and a record album of spoken voice recordings. Brautigan’s idiosyncratic style and humor caused him to be identified with the counterculture movement of the 1960s.
The authors of many of these 32 essays knew Brautigan personally and professionally; others came to know and respect him through a cultivated connection with his writings. The essays—many of which are new, others of which were published in obscure journals—combine personal remembrance of the man and critical appraisal of his still-controversial works. Includes previously unpublished photographs and artworks.

John F. Barber lives in the Pacific Northwest where he teaches within the Digital Technology and Culture program at Washington State University Vancouver. His book, Richard Brautigan: An Annotated Bibliography, was previously published by McFarland. He administers Brautigan Bibliography and Archive, (www.brautigan.net) the definitive online resource for information and resources regarding author Richard Brautigan, his works and life.

Edited by John F. Barber
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 314
Bibliographic Info: 36 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2007
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2525-9
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8251-1
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

Introduction: The Curve of Binding Memory      3

Checklist of Works by Richard Brautigan      13

In the Riffles with Richard: A Profile of Richard Brautigan      15

Richard Brautigan and the Final Chapters in A Confederate General from Big Sur: A Symposium      26

A Drop of Pouilly-Fuissé into the Pacific Ocean      39

She’s Gone. It’s Done.      41

The Secrets of Fiction: Where Have You Gone Richard Brautigan?      45

Just Like a Poem: Richard Brautigan and Mad River      48

The Gentle on the Mind Number      62

Sketches of Richard Brautigan      65

Shooting Up the Countryside      88

Food Stamps for the Stars      95

Brautigan and the Eagles      99

In Memoriam: Richard Brautigan      102

The Perfect American      106

A Last Letter to Richard Brautigan      109

Glimpses of Richard Brautigan in the Haight-Ashbury      113

Dreaming of Brautigan: An Appreciation      121

“Lit Crit,” “Over Easy,” and “R.I.P.”: Three Vignettes      125

Dreaming Richard Brautigan      131

Richard’s Miraculous Mistakes      136

I Remember Richard Brautigan      139

The Brautigan Library: A Noble Experiment      144

The Brautigan Library Founder’s Message      146

Richard Brautigan: A Millennium Paper Airplane      154

Ninety-One Things about Richard Brautigan      162

Paper Flowers: Richard Brautigan’s Poetry      188

West Coast Dreamer: The Lonely Death of Richard Brautigan      205

The Historical Present: Notions of History, Time and Cultural Lineage in the Writing of Richard Brautigan      212

Br’er Brautigan: Trickster Dead and Well in Montana      225

Notes from a Brautigan Collector      227

Richard Brautigan, Flânerie, and Japan: Some International Perspectives on His Work      231

Visit to the “Confederate General from Big Sur”: 31 May 1965      273

Talking with Richard Brautigan      281

Credits      287

About the Contributors      289

Index      293

“recommended”—Choice.