Kesey and Plath: A New American Myth :: Biography Biographies Essays

Kesey and Plath A New American Myth   A mutual friend sets up Ken Kesey and Sylvia Plath on a blind date. They meet in a Boston restaurant and discover theyre both writers. Describe the ensuing conversation. Sept. 3, 1955 (from Sylvias diary) It must(prenominal) have been some terrible mistake. Mother set me up with a certain Ken Kesey, a friend of a friend of the family. imposing We met at a restaurant on Harvard Square and it went downhill from there. I came home alright, but barely. I guess I can burst out from the beginning... Ken is large and very open with his body and gestures. Hes from California, which could explain that. He dressed very casually and he had a crazy facial expression in his eyes when he saw me. I dont know if he was happy to be there either. Apparently he goes to Stanford and is studying fanciful writing. I asked him about his writing and he started a whole delivery on psychiatric wards and medications. I didnt want to hear a playscript about psych iatric wards, but he certainly got my interest.   He volunteers to do experiments for money. I cant imagine going through what I went through voluntarily... I did venture to ask him why he was writing about hospitals and he looked very closely at me and said, Youve been there. I know. And he did. He was eyesight inside me, all the way inside, and it was the most uncomfortable silence Ive perpetually had. I mumbled an accusation and as soon as it came out, I knew my fetch hadnt told him about all that. Dinner went alright, barring the conversation about hospitals. We walked nearly the square and by the river for awhile and then he invited me to his hotel room and I said no, but I really wanted to leave with him. Ive been so bottled up for days... I wanted to do something different. We sat down cladding Cambridge and he looked at me again, intently and laughed...     Its all black, isnt it? Then everything shuts down. Ken looked murder toward the river. He started t o laugh again. I dont know what youre talking about. Sylvia put her knees finisher together. Uncomfortable. When they throw the switch. When it all shakes and then you black out. Then you cant think for days.