Quit smoking

[Qvart]

I'm at two degrees. My limey friend in Ohio wrote his PhD dissertation on Kesey and the Pranksters. Had access to his personal files and library in Oregon (including letters between Kesey, Hunter S. Thompson, and Terry Gilliam about filming Fear and Loathing. He also has a small piece of the bus.

W-a-a-y cool! (seriously). Didn't know KEsey and Thopson wer acquainted.
I'd be very interested in his perception of the realtionship between Kesey and McMurtry, if he has any insights. I always kind of thought Kesey gave up, or at least changed his focus, after "Sometimes A Great Notion", and wondered if he was just leaving it up to the better man for the job, so to speak: McMurtry. We KNOW where that wound up. He's up there with Clemens in my opinion. :wink:

I don't know anything about McMurtry. Just scanned the above post while mobile-LTG'ing, saw "Kesey" and was reminded of my friend up north. I don't remember what all he said about the letters. I think he said they talked about ideas for scenes in the movie.

 

[rws11]

I almost got whiplash. :lol:

 

[killdeer43]

I don't know anything about McMurtry.

If you're not pulling our collective leg, Q, you might consider getting up to speed on one of the truly great American writers. :wink:

Just sayin',
Joe

 

[adorshki]

I don't know anything about McMurtry.

If you're not pulling our collective leg, Q, you might consider getting up to speed on one of the truly great American writers. :wink:
Just sayin',
Joe

I think he meant in regards to my specific question about the later relationship between 'em.
I'm thinking the comment about "talked about ideas for scenes in the movie" meant they at least "talked".
Now I'm wondering which movie? I just discovered "Sometimes a Great Notion" actually preceded "Cuckoo's Nest" as a movie. When it came out in '71 I only cared about "Koolaid Acid Test".
But I always thought "Notion" was heavily influenced by McMurtry's "Horseman Pass By" which became "Hud".
Paul Newman's even in both of 'em too...hmmmm....
OK, who can name the other guy who's been in a movie authored by each one?
BTW< anybody got a smoke? I need one to go with my beer. :lol:

 

[Qvart]

I don't know anything about McMurtry.

If you're not pulling our collective leg, Q, you might consider getting up to speed on one of the truly great American writers. :wink:

Just sayin',
Joe

I'm fairly well-read, but don't know this person of which you speak. Also - remember - y'all are a bunch of geezers around here so we're dealing with a generation gap. :lol: I mean, I've read some Kesey, Pirsig, Wolfe, Ed Abbey, and the Beats that preceded the Pranksters, but I'm at a loss on this one. I'm on it.........hold on........ah-so........Terms of Endearment and Lonesome Dove. Never read his stuff. Maybe there's something in my stash of ebooks. I'll check.

As for Kesey-Thompson-Gilliam: I don't know that Kesey and Thompson talked directly to each other. Could have been through Gilliam. I'm meeting up with a mutual friend of mine and the limey's in the DC area this weekend. He'll probably remember better than me.

 

[adorshki]

I'm fairly well-read, but don't know this person of which you speak. Also - remember - y'all are a bunch of geezers around here so we're dealing with a generation gap. :lol: I mean, I've read some Kesey, Pirsig, Wolfe, Ed Abbey, and the Beats that preceded the Pranksters, but I'm at a loss on this one. I'm on it.........hold on........ah-so........Terms of Endearment and Lonesome Dove.

And "Hud", and "Last Picture Show" and "Texasville" and "The Evening Star"...
McMurtry was part of the Kesey circle for a while. Why I'm kinda surpised you never knew about the connection.
AHA! Wiki says he was at Stanford in 1960 studying under Wallace Stegner with Kesey (and others). So Kesey DID know him early enough to make a play on McMurtry to "McMurphy".
I wouldn't put McMurtry in the Beats school, but boyoboy he's square in the center of "americana".
Watch Beau Bridges in the opening sequence of "Texasville". That's some vintage McMurtry.
Guns, beer, and a hottub, it don't get much better than that.
Except maybe for Jack Nicholson as Garret Breedlove in Terms of Endearment. :wink:

 

[Qvart]

I wouldn't put McMurtry in the Beats school, but boyoboy he's square in the center of "americana".
Watch Beau Bridges in the openening sequence of "Texasville". That's some vintage McMurtry.
Guns, beer, and a hottub, it don't get much better than that.

I remember there was some Beat-Prankster connections. Not necessarily McMurtry.

As for "americana," that's the impression I have of him (based on the little I know of his works without having actually read them).

For any of you who haven't.....I'd recommend reading Ed Abbey. Especially "The Fool's Progress." I think some around here would dig it.

 

[killdeer43]

Watch Beau Bridges in the opening sequence of "Texasville".

That would be Beau's brother, Jeff Bridges. :wink:

Joe

 

[killdeer43]

For any of you who haven't.....I'd recommend reading Ed Abbey. Especially "The Fool's Progress." I think some around here would dig it.

I have everything Ed wrote, including an autographed copy of the Monkey Wrench Gang.

It's OK to sign a book, but not OK to sign a guitar. :wink:

Joe

*Also happy to own everything McMurtry has written.

 

[adorshki]

Watch Beau Bridges in the opening sequence of "Texasville".

That would be Beau's brother, Jeff Bridges. :wink:
Joe

Right. The guy who looks like our own Dapmdave.
Thanks for havin' my back.

 

[adorshki]

It's OK to sign a book, but not OK to sign a guitar. :wink:

Ever wonder why they call it "sign language" when there are no signs involved?

 

[adorshki]

I remember there was some Beat-Prankster connections. Not necessarily McMurtry.

Neil Cassady, driver of the bus "Furthur", was the model for Kerouac's "Dean Moriarty" in On the Road. Was already a beat legend by the time he joined the Pranksters.
Also mentioned in the lyrics of the Dead's "That's it for the Other One" and King Crimson's "Neil and Jack and Me"

As for "americana," that's the impression I have of him (based on the little I know of his works without having actually read them)

.
Closer to Kerouac than Watts and Ginsberg, for sure. Earlier books are based on contemporary characters but he really embraces his love of the american west later on.
Even wrote one about the gangster Pretty Boy Floyd.