42 Facts About Richard Brautigan

Richard Brautigan wrote throughout his life and published ten novels, two collections of short stories, and four books of poetry.

Richard Brautigan is best known for his novels Trout Fishing in America, In Watermelon Sugar, and The Abortion: An Historical Romance 1966.

Richard Brautigan was born in Tacoma, Washington, the only child of Bernard Frederick "Ben" Richard Brautigan Jr.

Richard Brautigan said that he met his biological father only twice.

Richard Brautigan said that he had a very traumatic experience when, at age nine, his mother left him and his four-year-old sister unattended in a motel room in Great Falls, Montana, for two days.

Brautigan said that Folston was a violent alcoholic, whom Richard had seen abusing his mother.

Richard Brautigan was raised in poverty; he told his daughter stories of his mother sifting rat feces out of their supply of flour before making flour-and-water pancakes.

Richard Brautigan's family found it difficult to obtain food, and on some occasions they did not eat for days.

Richard Brautigan drew from his childhood in the poems and stories that he wrote from as early as the age of 12.

On September 12,1950, Richard Brautigan enrolled at South Eugene High School.

Richard Brautigan wrote for his high school newspaper, the Eugene High School News.

On December 19,1952, Richard Brautigan's first published poem, "The Light", appeared in the school newspaper.

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

Richard Brautigan returned to Oregon several times, apparently for lack of money.

On December 14,1955, Richard Brautigan was arrested for throwing a rock through a police station window, supposedly to be sent to prison and fed.

Richard Brautigan was arrested for disorderly conduct and fined $25.

Richard Brautigan was committed to the Oregon State Hospital on December 24,1955, after police noticed patterns of erratic behavior.

At the Oregon State Hospital Richard Brautigan was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and clinical depression, and was treated with electroconvulsive therapy 12 times.

On February 19,1956, Richard Brautigan was released from the hospital and briefly lived with his mother, stepfather, and siblings in Eugene.

Richard Brautigan left for San Francisco, where he would spend most of the rest of his life except for periods in Tokyo and Montana.

In San Francisco, Richard Brautigan sought to establish himself as a writer.

Richard Brautigan was known for handing out his poetry on the streets and performing at poetry clubs.

In early 1956, Richard Brautigan typed a three-page manuscript and sent it to Macmillan Inc for publication.

Richard Brautigan contributed several short pieces to be used as broadsides by the Communication Company.

Richard Brautigan was a writer for Change, an underground newspaper created by Ron Loewinsohn.

From 1968 to 1970 Richard Brautigan had 23 short pieces published in Rolling Stone magazine.

From late 1968 to February 1969, Richard Brautigan recorded a spoken-word album for The Beatles' short-lived record-label, Zapple.

Richard Brautigan published five novels and a collection of short stories, Revenge of the Lawn.

Richard Brautigan's work remained popular in Europe as well as in Japan, where Brautigan visited several times.

Richard Brautigan's writings are characterized by a remarkable and humorous imagination.

In 2002, a proposed edition of Richard Brautigan's collected poems was rejected by his estate.

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

The couple had one daughter together, Ianthe Elizabeth Richard Brautigan, born on March 25,1960, in San Francisco.

Richard Brautigan continued to reside in San Francisco after the separation, while Alder settled in Manoa, Hawaii, and became a feminist and an anti-Vietnam War activist.

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

Richard Brautigan had a relationship with Marcia Clay of San Francisco from 1981 to 1982.

Richard Brautigan pursued a brief relationship with Janice Meissner, a woman from the North Beach community of San Francisco.

Richard Brautigan was an alcoholic throughout his adult life; according to his daughter, he often mentioned suicide over a period of more than a decade before ending his life.

In 1984, at age 49, Richard Brautigan had moved to Bolinas, California, where he was living alone in a large, old house that he had bought with his earnings years earlier.

Richard Brautigan was survived by his parents, both ex-wives, and his daughter Ianthe.

Ianthe Richard Brautigan has confirmed that her father did not leave such a message.

The music video for Kat Meoz's "Here I Wait" directed by Kansas Bowling recreates Richard Brautigan's book covers and features the only footage in existence of the actual Willard which inspired Willard and His Bowling Trophies.