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Shouldn't there be a bit more depth about the Joan Anderson Letter and its influence on Kerouac and his writing of On The Road? It was a large influence on Kerouac's theory of spontaneous prose. IrishGuy 06:55, 1 May 2006 (UTC)
Perhaps you are right. I'm not too familiar with what Kerouac had to say about spontaneous prose, but having spent a fair amount of time around Neal I know that it was Neal's speaking style that Kerouac imitated in his writing. Neal encouraged Kerouac to loosen up, to just let things flow; this came so naturally to Neal that he could not imagine any other way, whether speaking or writing.
Founders4 04:13, 2 May 2006 (UTC)
Sounds like you know enough to add more about the Joan Anderson letter. I would encourage you to do so! Founders4 04:32, 2 May 2006 (UTC)
How is this project going? I have some information on this and could assist, if you wish. Pitoucat 00:07, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
karouac called his new method of writing "sketching". i have a biography somewhere ill see if i can find it —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.164.172.232 ( talk) 04:14, 26 March 2010 (UTC)
I added the book Friendly & Flowing Savage to the list of books about Appearances in Literature. IrishGuy moved it to the Neal Cassady bibliography section. I moved it back, Bold text'Bold text'since it is not a book by Neal, but about his literary influence. IrishGuy again moved it, this time to the Biography section. It is not a biography, but a literary study of Neal Cassady as an influence on other writers. It does not belong in the Biography or Bibliography sections. I feel that the Appearances in Literature section is more appropriate since the book documents all of these, including some not already listed in that section. Maybe a new section is required, such as Literary Studies? Over to you, IrishGuy. Pitoucat 23:38, 16 May 2006 (UTC)
OK, let's leave it where it is. However, I feel that anyone obtaining the book and expecting it to be a biography will be sorely disappointed. Pitoucat 00:06, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
I've added a new section, Literary Studies, in which to place this book, as I honestly don't feel that it properly belongs in any of the previously existing ones. Incidentally, although the original small press publication of 1987 is now hard to locate, the complete text can be found in a collection of essays by Gregory Stephenson on the literature of the Beat Generation, The Daybreak Boys (Southern Illinois University Press, 1990), and is strongly recommended. Pitoucat 10:59, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
Cassady is the main character in "The Furthur Inquiry" by Kesey. 173.187.66.187 ( talk) 02:13, 15 October 2014 (UTC)
I noticed you made some date changes, Pitoucat. Unfortunately they are not correct. Don't know what sources you might be using.
The Merry Prankster trip with Ken was definitely in 1964.
I met up with Neal during January, 1968. Neal, Annie and George had just driven down to Puerto Vallarta, and they were staying at a beach house just south of town. We spent a week or so there before heading on to other destinations. Shortly after we returned to the U.S., in early February, 1968, we heard of Neal's death. Founders4 07:03, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
Neal, George Walker, Steven Lambrecht, Gloria Quornstrom and Anne Murphy drove to Mexico in January 1967 (not 1968) and stayed in Puerto Vallarta. Anne flew back to the USA in February, and the others in April, leaving Neal in San Miguel de Allende. Neal returned to USA in May.
He left again for Mexico on January 28, 1969, with an experimental filmmaker from LA, to meet up with Janice Brown in San Miguel. He died on February 4.
This information comes from my research and interviews with George Walker, Anne Murphy, and Kathy Van Leeuwen. I'm confident that the dates of 1962 and 1967 are correct and so I have changed them back. Pitoucat 07:58, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
Hello Pitoucat. I believe you that Neal met Ken before the 1964 trip, though perhaps this should be clarified to avoid confusion as to when the trip to New York actually occurred.
The confusion about the Mexico trip may be the result of multiple trips. What I do know for sure is that Neal, George and Anne (Neal always called her "Annie")were in Puerto Vallerta in January, 1968--that's the only trip I ever made to Mexico. I never saw Steven Lambrecht or Gloria Quornstrom at the beach house in Puerto Vallarta.
Although I had met Neal on several occasions before that (during 1966 and 1967), January, 1968 was the first time I had met Anne and George. Perhaps they were also there during 1967, which might account for some of the confusion; I wouldn't know about that.
When you say "He (Neal) left again for Mexico on January 28, 1969..." this must be an error, because Neal died on February 4, 1968.
I think I'll go ahead and make some changes; see what you think :). I AM entirely sure about the 1968 dates. Founders4 09:51, 18 May 2006 (UTC)
Just reviewed a couple of other sources. As was the case with many of us during this period, Neal was all over the map in 1967-68, which adds to the difficulty of pinning down specific dates. All sources, however, agree that Neal died on February 4, 1968.
The reason I KNOW that I saw Neal in Puerto Vallarta in January, 1968 is because that trip intensified longstanding personality conflicts between me and my longtime girlfriend; after the trip we separated, and we both moved out of our house in February, 1968. We found out about Neal's death while we were packing.
If you read some of the interviews with Carolyn Cassady, she refers to a call she got from Neal shortly before he died, just as he was crossing the border into Mexico, though she doesn't provide an exact date. He voiced his desire to "come home," but she was sure it couldn't be that way.
So we know that Neal entered Mexico shortly before he died. The more I think about it, the more I think your January, 1967 information must reference an earlier trip. Please keep in mind the old adage, "If you remember the '60's you must not have been there." One really does have to put things together using several sources to get the dates right.
Hope the changes I made work for you. Neal made many trips to Mexico, and all we really know is that the trip he made just before he died was his last, so that's what I wrote. This leaves open the likelihood of an earlier trip during 1967.
Neal's mental and physical deterioration during the years after serving his sentence at San Quentin was quite severe, and his non-stop ingestion of methedrine, LSD and an assortment of other drugs didn't help. It was apparent to me the last time I saw him that Neal was in trouble; Carolyn says that he was in deep conflict, and essentially suicidal, during the last five years of his life. Nevertheless, his death still came as a shock; we all expected him to be around forever. Founders4 11:12, 18 May 2006 (UTC)
Thanks, Pitoucat, for sending me the primary source material confirming Neal's trip to Mexico in January, 1967 along with material that corroborates Anne Murphy's presence there during the same period.
I found the source of my error in thinking...a photo that was incribed "1968" instead of "1967." Regarding the contextual memory, I was simply mistaken.
I've changed the dates to reflect the reality. Neal, Anne, George et al stayed in a beachside house just south of Puerto Vallarta during January, 1967--not January, 1968 as I originally wrote. Founders4 07:35, 26 May 2006 (UTC)
Please leave photo in this article.
Also, the correct spelling is "Cassady."
Yes, this is a very good and germane point. You write about his family history of an alcoholic father, constantly moving about, living meagerly just off the streets, and then as we all know Neal Cassady himself was a second generation partier, constantly on the move, living a checkered life in society in a very opportune and almost forgiving time where a modest income and the right friends could provide an aristocratic party lifestyle without having to own anything. Now its all about ownership and everything is so expensive people have to constantly work to keep their payments up and these times are anything but forgiving where occasional hard drinking is considered a serious disease and moral failing. Neal Cassidy would not have done nearly as well in these times and we would probably never of ever heard of him.
It may well be he comes from a family loaded with a form of workable bipolar mood disorder where self-medication with alcohol and the popular agents of the day followed two generations of its males. All the restive activity with the obvious high intelligence and charm and artistic ability yet self-destructive streak do point in this direction. But in the 60's this type of personality wasn't considered a disorder, but more a love and pain to those close to the person. Rather than medicalize it as would happen today, it was celebrated and immitated with high exuberance. A careful reading of all that was said and done shows both intense highs and lows thematic during his reign as the perfect guy everyone around him wanted to be.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's self-novel The Crack Up, or Keroacs tales of Big Sur, etc, these former brilliant authors talk about the down side of being up and their productivity cratered with it. You see this in so many artists of various mediums, Lennon went deeply into a black period, so did Garcia, and certainly did Cobain etc etc. All tragic endings. Brilliant minds, brave souls, and rather unpleasant later years. Its all mood changes, compounded by physical changes, relationships that went sour, and the lack of the feeling of freshness.
Some, workaholics, like Keysey, Babba Dam Rass(Alport) keep it much more together and just accepted changes gracefully as they knew the next morning they had work to do. And they had very different, more mood steady personalities yet not the full voltage of the others with the higher name recognition.
Finally, Neal Cassady was so popular as he was a stream of conciousness lubricant for the story-teller: he helped move the story along but he was not a perceptual artist like Kerouac. He was legs on the man, the necessary fulcrum to drop an observation on that would push it over the hill. Its not right to call Kerouac a stream-of-conciousness writer as that ignores his keen observational gifts of what he see's as he describes "the beat". Everyone wanted his take on what "the Beat" was and when he trys in vain to describe its 100 faces cracked into a diamond you have everyman explaining to a one dimensional audience a trip to the zoo. That is an artist, the one who can explain the blur of colors as you pass by so you too can see them one at a time. That was kerouac describing "the beat" inside the nightclub. You can see it. You can feel it. That was the real Kerouac, not this idealized notion of some Hemingwayesque character passing through a "moveable feast" of that era. Go back to the primary source and read him fresh. You will find his writing fresh as the day it was written, as if your reading it for the first time without all that other literary gossip noise.
As America crossed into the 1990's it lost its literary tradition as nothing fresh and vivrant, nothing alive, in this age of spin indoctrination and multi-tierd commercialization is going on anymore. Its as if the beats, the hips, the last gasp of the grunge's just stepped off the planet taking any real USA artistic originality with them. But if you go back and just read what the Beats were saying, they were predicting this all along, then the kid's came along with guitars and let us have one last spin before God closed up shop. There is an elder Keysey video of him at his farm showing a last few doodles in green on his way out the door. 209.101.236.168 21:39, 29 September 2007 (UTC)
His multiple marriages and bigamy and other fast-paced highjinx may seem like trash talk but it was his behavior that captured the imagination of Kerouac and others and inspired them to incorporate him in their work. Cassady wanted to write and did work on a novel (according to Carolyn Cassady who thought his writing was good). But his personality was such that he acted out his behavior rather than observe in the background as Kerouac did. So Cassady's outlandish behavior is part of the story. KarenAnn 12:16, 30 May 2006 (UTC)
"Cosmic Charlie" was a 60's street character, sometimes referred to as "The Wandering Holy Man." His real name was Charles Altman. The Grateful Dead tune by this name was not inspired by Neal Cassady. Founders4 08:31, 10 June 2006 (UTC)
This article seems to have far too many external links, anyone want to attempt to clean them up a bit? Russeasby 18:53, 22 April 2007 (UTC)
I added references (1) and (2) in the legacy section that discusses Cassady's appearance in Grateful Dead tunes. I think I did it properly, however the references do not come up when you click them. Any ideas? Apostle12 20:18, 24 August 2007 (UTC)
This article was automatically assessed because at least one article was rated and this bot brought all the other ratings up to at least that level. BetacommandBot 00:10, 28 August 2007 (UTC)
I have removed the image on the basis of an OTRS ticket from his widow who asserts a fee *must* be paid for use of the image. -- Brianmc 10:35, 31 August 2007 (UTC)
Perhaps I'm a wiki-tard. Could someone explain to me why there's a separate category called "Further Reading" that contains only the title: Carolyn Cassady :Off the Road: Twenty Years with Cassady, Kerouac and Ginsberg when that same title also appears earlier in the Published Bios section? Also, after following the link for the "Further Reading" section, I found nothing to indicate that book was published by Black Spring Press. When I searched Amazon, I found publisher as Penguin and the date as 1991, not 1990 or 2007. What's up with this? Leodmacleod - 4:54 27-09-07 (UTC)
Off the Road was first published in the UK by Black Spring Press in 1990, as a hardcover edition. Pitoucat ( talk) 20:17, 25 November 2007 (UTC)
Founders4 05:58, 28 September 2007 (UTC)
I'm still unclear on why a new version of the book merits a separate category. Shouldn't it simply supersede the reference in the Published Bios, or else be written in such a way as to make note of the both the original and revised versions?
Leodmacleod - 6:48 2 October 2007 (UTC)
It's not ONLY available through AmazonUK. It is available from any bookshop in the UK, and elsewhere. Pitoucat ( talk) 12:13, 12 December 2007 (UTC)
I removed the following comment that was prepended to the article:
Not to be confused with Cowboy Neal of Slashdot fame
If there are a sufficient number of people viewing this page who are looking for Slashdot's "Cowboy Neal", someone should setup a generic disambiguation page and use the disambiguation template. The removed comment above used non-standard formatting and did not contain a link to Slashdot's "Cowboy Neal". James A. Stewart ( talk) 21:18, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
"Cowboy Neal" has always referred to Neal Cassady, via Wolfe, GD, and probably others. I support James A. Stewart's removal. I remember when "Cowboy Neal" started using that nym, but the reference has always preceded him, and in fact, it has always been a homage to Cassady. Viriditas ( talk) 07:48, 19 January 2011 (UTC)
By his own account, as of January 1967, Cassady had maintained an on-again, off-again sexual relationship with Allen Ginsburg; when he spoke of this they had last slept together in late 1966. Apostle12 ( talk) 03:20, 7 September 2008 (UTC)
The Ginsburg relationship parallels other relationships, especially Neal's patron in his early youth (see elsewhere in the article/discussion). Ginsburg was a horny gay turned on by by this attractive exciting bisexually-inclined young man. Ginsberg used Neal. Ed Brooks keyman2@att.net —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.210.69.80 ( talk) 02:55, 1 October 2010 (UTC)
It was Neal Cassady that started me a travelin' All the stories that were told, I believed them, every one And it's a windin' road I'm on, you understand No time to worry 'bout tomorrow, when you're followin' the sun... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.183.72.90 ( talk) 04:05, 9 December 2009 (UTC)
I AM WRITING IN CAPS IN HOPES OF GETTING SOMEBODY'S ATTENTION AT THE EDITORIAL END
I HAVE NUMEROUS TIMES TRIED TO CORRECT AN ERROR IN THE NEAL CASSADY ARTICLE BUT SOMEONE IS OUT OF CONTROL AND IS ERASING EVERYTHING I WRITE.
THIS SAME PERSON PRESUMABLY WROTE THE INACCURATE MATERIAL. IF THIS PERSON WANTS TO KEEP HIS OPINION IN THE ARTICLE THAT IS FINE, SO LONG AS THE MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION IS IN THE ARTICLE ALSO.
HERE IS THE CONTEXT:
"Cassady was not a heavy drinker, though he may have participated in a toast to the bride and groom." ORIGINAL
ADDED BY ME: On the other hand, Cassady like most or all the Beats sought the peak experience. For a light drinker, he could put on a fair imitation of heavy drinking–he was observed putting away a fifth of vodka straight from the bottle at one party in the mid-60's. This was consistent with his drug use and abuse. His sexual activities followed the same pattern. He pursued young college girls 25 years his junior for a one-night stand. And it is pretty well documented that he was bi-sexual when the occasion arose."
PRETENDING THAT A HEDONIST LIKE NEAL WITH HIS TRACK RECORD WOULD OH SO DELICATELY RESTRICT HIS DRINKING TO A TOAST TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM IS ABSURD, AND AN INSULT, IF NOT TO HIS MEMORY, TO THE BIOGRAPHICAL GENRE. ED BROOKS —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.210.205.18 ( talk) 20:11, 9 July 2010 (UTC)
To Apostle: The facts underlying the information I have presented can be found published on the web site of Professor Ralph Abraham of the Univ. of Calif. at Santa Cruz ( http://www.ralph-abraham.org/1960s/) under my name, Edward Brooks, in the essay "Snapshots". Ed Brooks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.6.147.4 ( talk) 02:59, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
Well, Apostle, Wikipedia seems to be a victim of its own rules. To say that an eye witness, corroborated by other witnesses, is not a reliable source makes you ask, What is a reliable source? I know, a published source which has indicia of reliability. And who decides that the Abraham collection of witnesses to the Hippy period is not a reliable source? You? "Many of us saw Neal imbibe alcohol" you say. So you add yourself and others to the list of witnesses. Why does Wiki keep the account of the person who makes the absurd assertions of Neal's delicate drinking habits, while rejecting first hand accounts to the contrary? What is it about the admittedly inaccurate information that satisfies Wiki's rules, while what you concede is the truth does not? Ed Brooks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.99.156.13 ( talk) 05:31, 20 July 2010 (UTC)
Sorry, "Apostle," but your attempt to make a personal issue out of a factual one will not work. It is a common ploy, though. Ed Brooks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.208.5.141 ( talk) 21:59, 31 August 2010 (UTC)
Wiki should be embarassed. Wiki's management should look to you for an explanation. Ed Brooks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.208.68.92 ( talk) 04:45, 7 September 2010 (UTC)
There is a connection between the Dunites and the Beats that should be followed up on and could prove to be important for the article:
[Gavin Arthur] taught a philosophy class at San Quentin; among his students was Neal Cassady... [1]
If anyone has more information, please let me know. Viriditas ( talk) 07:44, 19 January 2011 (UTC)
my apologies. i read some of these books too long ago to provide specific reference, but wasn't neal in the psycedelic era in general opposed to such drugs, doubting that they provided any real insight? just because he was a central figure in this era it does not necessarily mean he indulged.
ooops * forgot to sign the last post * 184.74.68.133 ( talk) 22:31, 10 February 2011 (UTC) grumpy the alien
im just getting used to this * an additional note * wasnt there some resentment of jack after the book appeared? does anyone know if this is true, and if so what form it took. since these are major figures of an era it would seem to be significant. 184.74.68.133 ( talk) 22:41, 10 February 2011 (UTC)grumpy the alien
I'm confused, why links from Cassadys children with Carolyn links to her. My logic would be that they link to articles about them, if they have any, or do not reference to anything at all.
When the track by Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim first came out I sent a taped copy to Merry Prankster Ken Babbs. He replied telling me that the talking voice used on the track was not Neal but in fact himself talking on stage at the 1969 Woodstock music festival. He wrote that he hadn't known anyone had a recording of that particular rap. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.145.19.48 ( talk) 14:16, 2 July 2015 (UTC)
I would like to propose a footnote to Robert Hyatt Jr. in the children section to the following article:
"Neal Cassady's Denver Legacy Includes a Secret Son, Robert Hyatt"
https://www.westword.com/arts/neal-cassadys-denver-legacy-includes-a-secret-son-robert-hyatt-8769924
Published February 7, 2017 in Denver's Westword.
This article explains what Neal's son had to go through to find out who his biological father was. He did not learn that his father was Neal Cassady, beat icon, till 2011. He previously thought his biological father was just someone named Neal Cassady. Mmele310 ( talk) 03:02, 12 February 2019 (UTC)
That section is clumsy and reads like nutty hearsay. First off, Wolfe is the REAL source of the notion of ecstatic writing? Who calls him a 'sentimental' writer? He saw writing as a manic activity that should focus on joy. (K lost the latter part as he became more and more a run-of-the-mill drunk.) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Codeslubber ( talk • contribs) 18:16, 30 August 2019 (UTC)
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion:
Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. — Community Tech bot ( talk) 16:36, 15 September 2019 (UTC)
Shouldn’t Allen Ginsburg be listed as a partner? Neal’s partners overlap with his marriages, so why wouldn’t Allen be listed too. Their relationship is well documented in On the Road. P Todd ( talk) 16:00, 7 March 2021 (UTC)
A big part of Cassady's influence comes from his raps at various acid tests in the mid-1960s, many of which are preserved on recordings on the Internet Archive. For example: https://archive.org/details/gd67-11-10.sbd.sacks.1612.sbeok.shnf/gd67-11-10d1t09.shn It seems that these should be listed as "published" work of his, as they are undoubtedly his best known works today. Thoughts? Msalt ( talk) 04:11, 27 April 2024 (UTC)
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Shouldn't there be a bit more depth about the Joan Anderson Letter and its influence on Kerouac and his writing of On The Road? It was a large influence on Kerouac's theory of spontaneous prose. IrishGuy 06:55, 1 May 2006 (UTC)
Perhaps you are right. I'm not too familiar with what Kerouac had to say about spontaneous prose, but having spent a fair amount of time around Neal I know that it was Neal's speaking style that Kerouac imitated in his writing. Neal encouraged Kerouac to loosen up, to just let things flow; this came so naturally to Neal that he could not imagine any other way, whether speaking or writing.
Founders4 04:13, 2 May 2006 (UTC)
Sounds like you know enough to add more about the Joan Anderson letter. I would encourage you to do so! Founders4 04:32, 2 May 2006 (UTC)
How is this project going? I have some information on this and could assist, if you wish. Pitoucat 00:07, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
karouac called his new method of writing "sketching". i have a biography somewhere ill see if i can find it —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.164.172.232 ( talk) 04:14, 26 March 2010 (UTC)
I added the book Friendly & Flowing Savage to the list of books about Appearances in Literature. IrishGuy moved it to the Neal Cassady bibliography section. I moved it back, Bold text'Bold text'since it is not a book by Neal, but about his literary influence. IrishGuy again moved it, this time to the Biography section. It is not a biography, but a literary study of Neal Cassady as an influence on other writers. It does not belong in the Biography or Bibliography sections. I feel that the Appearances in Literature section is more appropriate since the book documents all of these, including some not already listed in that section. Maybe a new section is required, such as Literary Studies? Over to you, IrishGuy. Pitoucat 23:38, 16 May 2006 (UTC)
OK, let's leave it where it is. However, I feel that anyone obtaining the book and expecting it to be a biography will be sorely disappointed. Pitoucat 00:06, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
I've added a new section, Literary Studies, in which to place this book, as I honestly don't feel that it properly belongs in any of the previously existing ones. Incidentally, although the original small press publication of 1987 is now hard to locate, the complete text can be found in a collection of essays by Gregory Stephenson on the literature of the Beat Generation, The Daybreak Boys (Southern Illinois University Press, 1990), and is strongly recommended. Pitoucat 10:59, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
Cassady is the main character in "The Furthur Inquiry" by Kesey. 173.187.66.187 ( talk) 02:13, 15 October 2014 (UTC)
I noticed you made some date changes, Pitoucat. Unfortunately they are not correct. Don't know what sources you might be using.
The Merry Prankster trip with Ken was definitely in 1964.
I met up with Neal during January, 1968. Neal, Annie and George had just driven down to Puerto Vallarta, and they were staying at a beach house just south of town. We spent a week or so there before heading on to other destinations. Shortly after we returned to the U.S., in early February, 1968, we heard of Neal's death. Founders4 07:03, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
Neal, George Walker, Steven Lambrecht, Gloria Quornstrom and Anne Murphy drove to Mexico in January 1967 (not 1968) and stayed in Puerto Vallarta. Anne flew back to the USA in February, and the others in April, leaving Neal in San Miguel de Allende. Neal returned to USA in May.
He left again for Mexico on January 28, 1969, with an experimental filmmaker from LA, to meet up with Janice Brown in San Miguel. He died on February 4.
This information comes from my research and interviews with George Walker, Anne Murphy, and Kathy Van Leeuwen. I'm confident that the dates of 1962 and 1967 are correct and so I have changed them back. Pitoucat 07:58, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
Hello Pitoucat. I believe you that Neal met Ken before the 1964 trip, though perhaps this should be clarified to avoid confusion as to when the trip to New York actually occurred.
The confusion about the Mexico trip may be the result of multiple trips. What I do know for sure is that Neal, George and Anne (Neal always called her "Annie")were in Puerto Vallerta in January, 1968--that's the only trip I ever made to Mexico. I never saw Steven Lambrecht or Gloria Quornstrom at the beach house in Puerto Vallarta.
Although I had met Neal on several occasions before that (during 1966 and 1967), January, 1968 was the first time I had met Anne and George. Perhaps they were also there during 1967, which might account for some of the confusion; I wouldn't know about that.
When you say "He (Neal) left again for Mexico on January 28, 1969..." this must be an error, because Neal died on February 4, 1968.
I think I'll go ahead and make some changes; see what you think :). I AM entirely sure about the 1968 dates. Founders4 09:51, 18 May 2006 (UTC)
Just reviewed a couple of other sources. As was the case with many of us during this period, Neal was all over the map in 1967-68, which adds to the difficulty of pinning down specific dates. All sources, however, agree that Neal died on February 4, 1968.
The reason I KNOW that I saw Neal in Puerto Vallarta in January, 1968 is because that trip intensified longstanding personality conflicts between me and my longtime girlfriend; after the trip we separated, and we both moved out of our house in February, 1968. We found out about Neal's death while we were packing.
If you read some of the interviews with Carolyn Cassady, she refers to a call she got from Neal shortly before he died, just as he was crossing the border into Mexico, though she doesn't provide an exact date. He voiced his desire to "come home," but she was sure it couldn't be that way.
So we know that Neal entered Mexico shortly before he died. The more I think about it, the more I think your January, 1967 information must reference an earlier trip. Please keep in mind the old adage, "If you remember the '60's you must not have been there." One really does have to put things together using several sources to get the dates right.
Hope the changes I made work for you. Neal made many trips to Mexico, and all we really know is that the trip he made just before he died was his last, so that's what I wrote. This leaves open the likelihood of an earlier trip during 1967.
Neal's mental and physical deterioration during the years after serving his sentence at San Quentin was quite severe, and his non-stop ingestion of methedrine, LSD and an assortment of other drugs didn't help. It was apparent to me the last time I saw him that Neal was in trouble; Carolyn says that he was in deep conflict, and essentially suicidal, during the last five years of his life. Nevertheless, his death still came as a shock; we all expected him to be around forever. Founders4 11:12, 18 May 2006 (UTC)
Thanks, Pitoucat, for sending me the primary source material confirming Neal's trip to Mexico in January, 1967 along with material that corroborates Anne Murphy's presence there during the same period.
I found the source of my error in thinking...a photo that was incribed "1968" instead of "1967." Regarding the contextual memory, I was simply mistaken.
I've changed the dates to reflect the reality. Neal, Anne, George et al stayed in a beachside house just south of Puerto Vallarta during January, 1967--not January, 1968 as I originally wrote. Founders4 07:35, 26 May 2006 (UTC)
Please leave photo in this article.
Also, the correct spelling is "Cassady."
Yes, this is a very good and germane point. You write about his family history of an alcoholic father, constantly moving about, living meagerly just off the streets, and then as we all know Neal Cassady himself was a second generation partier, constantly on the move, living a checkered life in society in a very opportune and almost forgiving time where a modest income and the right friends could provide an aristocratic party lifestyle without having to own anything. Now its all about ownership and everything is so expensive people have to constantly work to keep their payments up and these times are anything but forgiving where occasional hard drinking is considered a serious disease and moral failing. Neal Cassidy would not have done nearly as well in these times and we would probably never of ever heard of him.
It may well be he comes from a family loaded with a form of workable bipolar mood disorder where self-medication with alcohol and the popular agents of the day followed two generations of its males. All the restive activity with the obvious high intelligence and charm and artistic ability yet self-destructive streak do point in this direction. But in the 60's this type of personality wasn't considered a disorder, but more a love and pain to those close to the person. Rather than medicalize it as would happen today, it was celebrated and immitated with high exuberance. A careful reading of all that was said and done shows both intense highs and lows thematic during his reign as the perfect guy everyone around him wanted to be.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's self-novel The Crack Up, or Keroacs tales of Big Sur, etc, these former brilliant authors talk about the down side of being up and their productivity cratered with it. You see this in so many artists of various mediums, Lennon went deeply into a black period, so did Garcia, and certainly did Cobain etc etc. All tragic endings. Brilliant minds, brave souls, and rather unpleasant later years. Its all mood changes, compounded by physical changes, relationships that went sour, and the lack of the feeling of freshness.
Some, workaholics, like Keysey, Babba Dam Rass(Alport) keep it much more together and just accepted changes gracefully as they knew the next morning they had work to do. And they had very different, more mood steady personalities yet not the full voltage of the others with the higher name recognition.
Finally, Neal Cassady was so popular as he was a stream of conciousness lubricant for the story-teller: he helped move the story along but he was not a perceptual artist like Kerouac. He was legs on the man, the necessary fulcrum to drop an observation on that would push it over the hill. Its not right to call Kerouac a stream-of-conciousness writer as that ignores his keen observational gifts of what he see's as he describes "the beat". Everyone wanted his take on what "the Beat" was and when he trys in vain to describe its 100 faces cracked into a diamond you have everyman explaining to a one dimensional audience a trip to the zoo. That is an artist, the one who can explain the blur of colors as you pass by so you too can see them one at a time. That was kerouac describing "the beat" inside the nightclub. You can see it. You can feel it. That was the real Kerouac, not this idealized notion of some Hemingwayesque character passing through a "moveable feast" of that era. Go back to the primary source and read him fresh. You will find his writing fresh as the day it was written, as if your reading it for the first time without all that other literary gossip noise.
As America crossed into the 1990's it lost its literary tradition as nothing fresh and vivrant, nothing alive, in this age of spin indoctrination and multi-tierd commercialization is going on anymore. Its as if the beats, the hips, the last gasp of the grunge's just stepped off the planet taking any real USA artistic originality with them. But if you go back and just read what the Beats were saying, they were predicting this all along, then the kid's came along with guitars and let us have one last spin before God closed up shop. There is an elder Keysey video of him at his farm showing a last few doodles in green on his way out the door. 209.101.236.168 21:39, 29 September 2007 (UTC)
His multiple marriages and bigamy and other fast-paced highjinx may seem like trash talk but it was his behavior that captured the imagination of Kerouac and others and inspired them to incorporate him in their work. Cassady wanted to write and did work on a novel (according to Carolyn Cassady who thought his writing was good). But his personality was such that he acted out his behavior rather than observe in the background as Kerouac did. So Cassady's outlandish behavior is part of the story. KarenAnn 12:16, 30 May 2006 (UTC)
"Cosmic Charlie" was a 60's street character, sometimes referred to as "The Wandering Holy Man." His real name was Charles Altman. The Grateful Dead tune by this name was not inspired by Neal Cassady. Founders4 08:31, 10 June 2006 (UTC)
This article seems to have far too many external links, anyone want to attempt to clean them up a bit? Russeasby 18:53, 22 April 2007 (UTC)
I added references (1) and (2) in the legacy section that discusses Cassady's appearance in Grateful Dead tunes. I think I did it properly, however the references do not come up when you click them. Any ideas? Apostle12 20:18, 24 August 2007 (UTC)
This article was automatically assessed because at least one article was rated and this bot brought all the other ratings up to at least that level. BetacommandBot 00:10, 28 August 2007 (UTC)
I have removed the image on the basis of an OTRS ticket from his widow who asserts a fee *must* be paid for use of the image. -- Brianmc 10:35, 31 August 2007 (UTC)
Perhaps I'm a wiki-tard. Could someone explain to me why there's a separate category called "Further Reading" that contains only the title: Carolyn Cassady :Off the Road: Twenty Years with Cassady, Kerouac and Ginsberg when that same title also appears earlier in the Published Bios section? Also, after following the link for the "Further Reading" section, I found nothing to indicate that book was published by Black Spring Press. When I searched Amazon, I found publisher as Penguin and the date as 1991, not 1990 or 2007. What's up with this? Leodmacleod - 4:54 27-09-07 (UTC)
Off the Road was first published in the UK by Black Spring Press in 1990, as a hardcover edition. Pitoucat ( talk) 20:17, 25 November 2007 (UTC)
Founders4 05:58, 28 September 2007 (UTC)
I'm still unclear on why a new version of the book merits a separate category. Shouldn't it simply supersede the reference in the Published Bios, or else be written in such a way as to make note of the both the original and revised versions?
Leodmacleod - 6:48 2 October 2007 (UTC)
It's not ONLY available through AmazonUK. It is available from any bookshop in the UK, and elsewhere. Pitoucat ( talk) 12:13, 12 December 2007 (UTC)
I removed the following comment that was prepended to the article:
Not to be confused with Cowboy Neal of Slashdot fame
If there are a sufficient number of people viewing this page who are looking for Slashdot's "Cowboy Neal", someone should setup a generic disambiguation page and use the disambiguation template. The removed comment above used non-standard formatting and did not contain a link to Slashdot's "Cowboy Neal". James A. Stewart ( talk) 21:18, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
"Cowboy Neal" has always referred to Neal Cassady, via Wolfe, GD, and probably others. I support James A. Stewart's removal. I remember when "Cowboy Neal" started using that nym, but the reference has always preceded him, and in fact, it has always been a homage to Cassady. Viriditas ( talk) 07:48, 19 January 2011 (UTC)
By his own account, as of January 1967, Cassady had maintained an on-again, off-again sexual relationship with Allen Ginsburg; when he spoke of this they had last slept together in late 1966. Apostle12 ( talk) 03:20, 7 September 2008 (UTC)
The Ginsburg relationship parallels other relationships, especially Neal's patron in his early youth (see elsewhere in the article/discussion). Ginsburg was a horny gay turned on by by this attractive exciting bisexually-inclined young man. Ginsberg used Neal. Ed Brooks keyman2@att.net —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.210.69.80 ( talk) 02:55, 1 October 2010 (UTC)
It was Neal Cassady that started me a travelin' All the stories that were told, I believed them, every one And it's a windin' road I'm on, you understand No time to worry 'bout tomorrow, when you're followin' the sun... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.183.72.90 ( talk) 04:05, 9 December 2009 (UTC)
I AM WRITING IN CAPS IN HOPES OF GETTING SOMEBODY'S ATTENTION AT THE EDITORIAL END
I HAVE NUMEROUS TIMES TRIED TO CORRECT AN ERROR IN THE NEAL CASSADY ARTICLE BUT SOMEONE IS OUT OF CONTROL AND IS ERASING EVERYTHING I WRITE.
THIS SAME PERSON PRESUMABLY WROTE THE INACCURATE MATERIAL. IF THIS PERSON WANTS TO KEEP HIS OPINION IN THE ARTICLE THAT IS FINE, SO LONG AS THE MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION IS IN THE ARTICLE ALSO.
HERE IS THE CONTEXT:
"Cassady was not a heavy drinker, though he may have participated in a toast to the bride and groom." ORIGINAL
ADDED BY ME: On the other hand, Cassady like most or all the Beats sought the peak experience. For a light drinker, he could put on a fair imitation of heavy drinking–he was observed putting away a fifth of vodka straight from the bottle at one party in the mid-60's. This was consistent with his drug use and abuse. His sexual activities followed the same pattern. He pursued young college girls 25 years his junior for a one-night stand. And it is pretty well documented that he was bi-sexual when the occasion arose."
PRETENDING THAT A HEDONIST LIKE NEAL WITH HIS TRACK RECORD WOULD OH SO DELICATELY RESTRICT HIS DRINKING TO A TOAST TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM IS ABSURD, AND AN INSULT, IF NOT TO HIS MEMORY, TO THE BIOGRAPHICAL GENRE. ED BROOKS —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.210.205.18 ( talk) 20:11, 9 July 2010 (UTC)
To Apostle: The facts underlying the information I have presented can be found published on the web site of Professor Ralph Abraham of the Univ. of Calif. at Santa Cruz ( http://www.ralph-abraham.org/1960s/) under my name, Edward Brooks, in the essay "Snapshots". Ed Brooks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.6.147.4 ( talk) 02:59, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
Well, Apostle, Wikipedia seems to be a victim of its own rules. To say that an eye witness, corroborated by other witnesses, is not a reliable source makes you ask, What is a reliable source? I know, a published source which has indicia of reliability. And who decides that the Abraham collection of witnesses to the Hippy period is not a reliable source? You? "Many of us saw Neal imbibe alcohol" you say. So you add yourself and others to the list of witnesses. Why does Wiki keep the account of the person who makes the absurd assertions of Neal's delicate drinking habits, while rejecting first hand accounts to the contrary? What is it about the admittedly inaccurate information that satisfies Wiki's rules, while what you concede is the truth does not? Ed Brooks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.99.156.13 ( talk) 05:31, 20 July 2010 (UTC)
Sorry, "Apostle," but your attempt to make a personal issue out of a factual one will not work. It is a common ploy, though. Ed Brooks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.208.5.141 ( talk) 21:59, 31 August 2010 (UTC)
Wiki should be embarassed. Wiki's management should look to you for an explanation. Ed Brooks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.208.68.92 ( talk) 04:45, 7 September 2010 (UTC)
There is a connection between the Dunites and the Beats that should be followed up on and could prove to be important for the article:
[Gavin Arthur] taught a philosophy class at San Quentin; among his students was Neal Cassady... [1]
If anyone has more information, please let me know. Viriditas ( talk) 07:44, 19 January 2011 (UTC)
my apologies. i read some of these books too long ago to provide specific reference, but wasn't neal in the psycedelic era in general opposed to such drugs, doubting that they provided any real insight? just because he was a central figure in this era it does not necessarily mean he indulged.
ooops * forgot to sign the last post * 184.74.68.133 ( talk) 22:31, 10 February 2011 (UTC) grumpy the alien
im just getting used to this * an additional note * wasnt there some resentment of jack after the book appeared? does anyone know if this is true, and if so what form it took. since these are major figures of an era it would seem to be significant. 184.74.68.133 ( talk) 22:41, 10 February 2011 (UTC)grumpy the alien
I'm confused, why links from Cassadys children with Carolyn links to her. My logic would be that they link to articles about them, if they have any, or do not reference to anything at all.
When the track by Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim first came out I sent a taped copy to Merry Prankster Ken Babbs. He replied telling me that the talking voice used on the track was not Neal but in fact himself talking on stage at the 1969 Woodstock music festival. He wrote that he hadn't known anyone had a recording of that particular rap. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.145.19.48 ( talk) 14:16, 2 July 2015 (UTC)
I would like to propose a footnote to Robert Hyatt Jr. in the children section to the following article:
"Neal Cassady's Denver Legacy Includes a Secret Son, Robert Hyatt"
https://www.westword.com/arts/neal-cassadys-denver-legacy-includes-a-secret-son-robert-hyatt-8769924
Published February 7, 2017 in Denver's Westword.
This article explains what Neal's son had to go through to find out who his biological father was. He did not learn that his father was Neal Cassady, beat icon, till 2011. He previously thought his biological father was just someone named Neal Cassady. Mmele310 ( talk) 03:02, 12 February 2019 (UTC)
That section is clumsy and reads like nutty hearsay. First off, Wolfe is the REAL source of the notion of ecstatic writing? Who calls him a 'sentimental' writer? He saw writing as a manic activity that should focus on joy. (K lost the latter part as he became more and more a run-of-the-mill drunk.) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Codeslubber ( talk • contribs) 18:16, 30 August 2019 (UTC)
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion:
Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. — Community Tech bot ( talk) 16:36, 15 September 2019 (UTC)
Shouldn’t Allen Ginsburg be listed as a partner? Neal’s partners overlap with his marriages, so why wouldn’t Allen be listed too. Their relationship is well documented in On the Road. P Todd ( talk) 16:00, 7 March 2021 (UTC)
A big part of Cassady's influence comes from his raps at various acid tests in the mid-1960s, many of which are preserved on recordings on the Internet Archive. For example: https://archive.org/details/gd67-11-10.sbd.sacks.1612.sbeok.shnf/gd67-11-10d1t09.shn It seems that these should be listed as "published" work of his, as they are undoubtedly his best known works today. Thoughts? Msalt ( talk) 04:11, 27 April 2024 (UTC)