Richard Brotigan: biography and bibliography

Counterculture is a trend that denies the generally accepted values in art. In literature this trend was reflected in the work of some representatives of American literature of the seventies of the 20th century. One of these authors was Richard Brotigan. Peru of this writer owns eleven novels and several poetic collections. Creativity and biography of the American prose writer and poet is the subject of the article.

early years

Richard Brotigan was born in 1935. The native city of the writer is Tacoma. My father worked in a factory, joined the ranks of volunteers during the Second World War. Mother worked as a waitress. The parents of the future writer divorced before his birth. Before graduation, Richard Brotigan wore his mother's name and only after receiving the certificate received a name under which he entered the literature in the sixties of the 20th century. The writer saw his father only two times in his life.

Richard's mother married several times. Besides the eldest son, the woman had two more children. Stepfathers, according to biographers, treated the future poet rather rudely. Children's impressions are reflected in works created many years later, after Brotigan left his home. However, the prose writer in the young years hardly understood what the phrase "home" means. The family often moved. Mother barely made ends meet. The Brotigan family lived on welfare.

But, despite financial difficulties, Richard studied well. He was addicted to reading early, and by the time he was fifteen he knew that he would become a writer. The character of the future prose writer and in his childhood was not easy. Over the years, the oddities of this creative personality have worsened.

Biographers of Brotigan often cite the incident that happened to him in his youth. After reading poetry to his girlfriend, Richard (who at that time was twenty years old) expected to hear praise and enthusiastic exclamations. Nothing like this happened. Beloved young poet did not like the work. Then Brotigan went to the police station to surrender to the authorities. The reasons for arresting the eccentric young man were not found by the police. However, it was felt that staying in a psychiatric hospital would not hurt him. As a result, Brotigan spent several weeks in the hospital for the mentally ill.

Beginning of creativity

After graduation, Richard spent some time in his friend's family. Then the poem "Light" was written - one of the first published works. Richard Brotigan often returned to his friend's house. And, as a rule, he did it when his financial situation became especially critical.

Three years after leaving school, Richard Brotigan married. But, like his father, he showed no inclination towards a quiet life. Immediately after the birth of his daughter, the poet left the family. Brotigan went to San Francisco. In this city the novice poet immersed himself in the world of literary bohemia. He met Michael McLuhr, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Spicer. Brotigan also took part in literary evenings, where he read his poems and short stories.

Prose works

After the publication of the poems, the American author decided to try his hand at prose. One of the first works, which he created in the early period of creativity, is "Trout fishing in America." Richard Brotigan also wrote in the early sixties of the 20th century the story "The Generals of the Conference from Big Sur".

Glory international level came to the American author exactly after the publication of the product "Trout fishing in America." According to critics of the time, Richard Brotigan is a bright literary representative of the youth movement of the sixties of the 20th century. After the creation of the iconic work, the writer published four more works. One of the literary critics once said: "Only by perceiving the metaphor as a method, and not as an auxiliary, one can understand the prose that Richard Brotigan created."

"In Watermelon Sugar"

In this small novel, at first glance, there is no plot. Reviews about the product "In watermelon sugar" are different. Some are enthusiastic. Others are criticized, justifying their negative opinion with the confused style of the narrative. In addition, the work is filled with riddles and questions, the answers to which the reader does not receive even after reading. There is neither a tie nor a culmination. The narration is from the first person. On behalf of a person who is in his own world. The hero sees everything that happens around, through a prism created from "watermelon sugar".

A novel can be called a literary experiment. Readers who prefer a strict syllable and a straightforward plot will hardly like this work.

Hippie-novelist

Russian readers are little known to Richard Brotigan. Not everyone understands his books. Contemporaries called the hero of this article a "hippie novelist", which he did not like very much. Brotigan believed that his prose is intended not only for representatives of the youth movement, formed by the beginning of the seventies of the 20th century in the subculture. The writer in one of the interviews said: "In my books - the answers to all questions of the twentieth century".

Criticism

Nevertheless, Brotigan's star did not linger on the book horizon. His books sold well. However, criticism spoke about the work of Brotigan with disdain. One of the works in 1976 even received the "rank" of the worst.

Like all talented authors, Brotigan was often haunted by setbacks. Often the work he had several times to send to the publishing house. Some poems and stories were published after the author's death. Many years after Brotigan's death, at one of the conferences devoted to his work, one of the literary critics said: "America could have treated its poet better."

The thing is that his prose was forever associated with the hippy movement. The peculiar style, the abundance of symbols, the lack of correspondence with classical literary subjects - all this was necessary for readers who are striving for freedom. But it is alien to those who began to return to conservatism from the beginning of the eighties of the 20th century.

The decline in popularity

In the seventies of the last century, Brotigan experimented with style and genre. In these years, many works have been created. Among them are stories that are included in the collection "Luzhaykin's Revenge".

The popularity of Brotigan in the eighties subsided. The poet and writer were attacked by American critics. However, outside of the homeland Brotigan's prose enjoyed fame. Perhaps the whole point is that the American writer has visited Japan many times. On trips, he became acquainted with the basics of the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, a reflection of which can be found in the work "Express Tokyo-Montana". Other books by Richard Brotigan:

1. "Abortion. Historical novel".
2. "The Hocklin monster."
3. "The consequence of the Sabrero."
4. "Dreams of Babylon."
5. "Unhappy woman: a journey".

Death

In 1984, Richard Brotigan was tragically killed. The poet shot himself in the head, presumably after a phone call from one of the former lovers. The body of the poet was discovered two weeks after his death. This fact testifies not only to oblivion in the literary world, but also, perhaps, about loneliness, which overtook the hero of this article in recent years.

Why did Richard Brotigan decide to end his life? The studies of biographers led to different conclusions. Creative crisis, numerous publishers' refusals, angry reviews of critics, unsettled personal life. There are many reasons. One way or another, Richard Brotigan, whose poems entered the history of world poetry, died suddenly, leaving behind many unsolved mysteries. His prose is not widely recognized. But even three decades after the death of Richard Brotigan, his novels find their reader.