Carolyn Cassady
Encyclopedia
Carolyn Elizabeth Robinson Cassady (born April 28, 1923) is an American
writer
associated with the Beat Generation
through her marriage to Neal Cassady
and her friendships with Jack Kerouac
, Allen Ginsberg
, and other prominent Beat figures. She became a frequent character in the works of Jack Kerouac
, who wrote extensively about Neal Cassady.
. Of English descent, both of her parents were educators, her mother a former English teacher and her father a biochemist, who raised their children according to strict conventional values. http://www.nndb.com/people/147/000028063/ She spent the first eight years of her childhood in East Lansing, then the family moved to Nashville, Tennessee
where Carolyn attended the Ward-Belmont Preparatory School for Girls. Although she enjoyed the school, she was less happy with Nashville and chose to spend her summers in Glen Lake, Michigan.
After the move to Nashville, Carolyn developed her lifelong interest in the fine arts and theater arts. She began formal art lessons at age 9, sold her first portrait at age 14, and continued her interest in portrait painting as an adult. At age 12 she joined the Nashville Community Playhouse, where she won awards for set designs and became the head of the make-up department at age 16. She secured a scholarship to Bennington College
, an exclusive women's school in Vermont
, where she initially studied art then switched to drama.
. Until she and her roommate could find an apartment of their own, they were hosted by Robert Sherwood
, playwright and author of FDR's speeches. By day she worked for Dazian's fabric company, by night she studied at Traphagen School of Design, and on weekends she browsed the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art for little-known prints of period dress. She also attended Broadway stage productions, witnessed the beginning of the American Ballet Theater, and took in performances of the biggest swing bands of the era. Both she and her roommate became air raid wardens, serving as auxiliary members of the NYPD.
At Bennington, Carolyn took classes with Martha Graham
, Erich Fromm
, Peter Drucker
, Francis Ferguson, Theodore Roethke
, and other noted teachers in their fields. She obtained her BA degree in Stanislavsky Drama in 1944.
After graduation, Carolyn became an occupational therapist for the U.S. Army and served at Torney General Hospital in Palm Springs, California
. When the war ended she returned to Nashville to continue her work at the Nashville Community Playhouse, paint and recover from her war experiences.
In 1946, Carolyn moved to Denver, Colorado
to study for her MA degree in Fine Arts and Theater Arts at the University of Denver
. She worked as a teaching assistant and began a Theater Arts department for the Denver Art Museum.
, Allen Ginsberg
and Jack Kerouac
. Allen stayed in her residence hotel apartment for two weeks before finding an apartment of his own and Jack accompanied her to rehearsals at the University. In the evenings Carolyn, Neal and Jack frequented Denver's clubs to dance and hear music. It was during this period that Carolyn and Neal began their love affair, though at the time he was still married to his first wife, LuAnne Henderson. In August 1947, Carolyn was shocked to find LuAnne, Neal and Allen naked, in bed together. She decided her brief romance with Neal was over and departed for Hollywood, CA on the promise of a job opening as costume designer for Western Costume Company.
While waiting for the job opening, Carolyn moved north to San Francisco, staying initially with an older married sister before finding temporary work and an apartment of her own. But five weeks after she left Denver, Neal re-entered her life and they resumed their romance. His marriage to LuAnne was annulled on March 31, 1948 and the next day Carolyn and Neal were married.
In a 2008 interview with literary magazine Notes from the Underground
, Cassady stated that "As far as I'm concerned, the Beat Generation was something made up by the media and Allen Ginsberg." She goes on to say that Jack Kerouac could not stand the public image that was created for him.
. Although Neal did make provisions for Carolyn's and baby Cathy's care, she considered Neal's sudden departure desertion and told him not to return.
Neal drove to Denver to pick up ex-wife LuAnne and then picked up Kerouac in North Carolina. The story was immortalized in Kerouac's On the Road
. Believing the marriage was finished, Carolyn moved with her infant daughter to an apartment near Mission Dolores in San Francisco. At the end of January 1949, Neal dropped Jack and LuAnne off on a San Francisco street corner and was back in Carolyn's life. Neal took care of baby Cathleen during the day while Carolyn worked as an assistant to a radiologist.
In San Francisco Jack spent a few days as a guest in their apartment before returning to New York. After Neal resumed work with the Southern Pacific Railroad, the family moved to better housing. In 1952 Jack joined them for several months, beginning to write Visions of Neal, which later became On the Road, Visions of Cody, and other works. With Neal's encouragement, Carolyn and Jack began an affair that continued until 1960. In 1953, Jack joined Neal working as a brakeman for the Southern Pacific Railroad, and he lived with them after they moved to San Jose, California
.
Carolyn and Neal had two more children, a daughter, Jami, and a son, John Allen, who was named after Jack (Jean-Louis) Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. After receiving compensation from a railroad injury, they bought a home in Monte Sereno, California
, which was then part of Los Gatos, a suburb about fifty miles south of San Francisco. Jack, Allen, and the other Beat writers often visited their Monte Sereno home. Carolyn continued to paint portraits and became costume designer and make-up artist for the Los Gatos Academy of Dance, the Wagon Stagers, the San Jose Opera Company, the San Jose Light Opera Company, and the drama club of the University of Santa Clara.
In 1958, Neal was arrested by narcotic agents to whom he had given three marijuana cigarettes. He was accused of drug trafficking and served two years at San Quentin State Prison
, leaving Carolyn to take care of their children and fend for herself on welfare. During this period she also continued her painting and theater work.
After Neal was released from prison, he lost his railroad job for good and became progressively less reliable. When his parole ended in 1963, Carolyn decided to divorce him, mostly to free him from the burden of family obligations, a decision she later regretted. Without employment or family to anchor him, Neal joined Ken Kesey's
band of Merry Pranksters
and embarked on an endless series of road trips, dying in San Miguel de Allende
, Mexico
on February 4, 1968, four days short of his forty-second birthday. Although the exact cause of Neal's death was never determined, it is believed to have been caused by a combination of drug/alcohol use and exposure to the elements.
as Carolyn.
Carolyn was a founding member of the Academy of Parapsychology and Medicine (APM) and during the early 1970s served for four years as their correspondence secretary. In this capacity, she met many interesting people in the occult and medical world--Uri Geller
, Andrija Puharich
, the Findhorn people, and astronaut Marcus Bach, who started an institution much like the APM after he'd seen the earth as a blue jewel. She also became acquainted with eminent astrologer Dane Rudhyar
, and she corresponded with one of the Russian scientists behind the book "Psychic Discoveries Behind The Iron Curtain."
When the APM closed, Carolyn served as office manager for a company that imported bamboo stakes from China to stock American nurseries.
After all three children had married and left home, Carolyn longed for more cultural life than was available in the San Francisco suburbs. Her ancestors were all buried in England, and she had been brought up with many English customs, so in 1983 she moved to London, England. With London as her home base, she traveled extensively in Europe, Scandinavia and the Soviet Union, making many friends. In 1990, her memoirs were finally published in London as Off the Road: Twenty Years With Cassady, Kerouac and Ginsberg. Carolyn participated in the 2011 documentary film Love Always, Carolyn
in which she claims she is fighting a losing battle for the truth about Neal Cassady and Kerouac. She currently makes her home in the country near Bracknell, about an hour outside London.
, Camille is portrayed by Kirsten Dunst
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
associated with the Beat Generation
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
through her marriage to Neal Cassady
Neal Cassady
Neal Leon Cassady was a major figure of the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. He served as the model for the character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road....
and her friendships with Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
, Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
, and other prominent Beat figures. She became a frequent character in the works of Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
, who wrote extensively about Neal Cassady.
Early life
The youngest of five siblings, she was born Carolyn Elizabeth Robinson in Lansing, MichiganLansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
. Of English descent, both of her parents were educators, her mother a former English teacher and her father a biochemist, who raised their children according to strict conventional values. http://www.nndb.com/people/147/000028063/ She spent the first eight years of her childhood in East Lansing, then the family moved to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
where Carolyn attended the Ward-Belmont Preparatory School for Girls. Although she enjoyed the school, she was less happy with Nashville and chose to spend her summers in Glen Lake, Michigan.
After the move to Nashville, Carolyn developed her lifelong interest in the fine arts and theater arts. She began formal art lessons at age 9, sold her first portrait at age 14, and continued her interest in portrait painting as an adult. At age 12 she joined the Nashville Community Playhouse, where she won awards for set designs and became the head of the make-up department at age 16. She secured a scholarship to Bennington College
Bennington College
Bennington College is a liberal arts college located in Bennington, Vermont, USA. The college was founded in 1932 as a women's college and became co-educational in 1969.-History:-Early years:...
, an exclusive women's school in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, where she initially studied art then switched to drama.
Education
In 1943 Carolyn was allowed to study for six months in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Until she and her roommate could find an apartment of their own, they were hosted by Robert Sherwood
Robert Sherwood
Robert Sherwood may refer to:*Robert Emmet Sherwood , American playwright, editor, and screenwriter*Robert Edmund Sherwood , American clown and author*Bobby Sherwood , American bandleader...
, playwright and author of FDR's speeches. By day she worked for Dazian's fabric company, by night she studied at Traphagen School of Design, and on weekends she browsed the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art for little-known prints of period dress. She also attended Broadway stage productions, witnessed the beginning of the American Ballet Theater, and took in performances of the biggest swing bands of the era. Both she and her roommate became air raid wardens, serving as auxiliary members of the NYPD.
At Bennington, Carolyn took classes with Martha Graham
Martha Graham
Martha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence Picasso had on modern visual arts, Stravinsky had on music, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture.She danced and choreographed for over seventy years...
, Erich Fromm
Erich Fromm
Erich Seligmann Fromm was a Jewish German-American social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, humanistic philosopher, and democratic socialist. He was associated with what became known as the Frankfurt School of critical theory.-Life:Erich Fromm was born on March 23, 1900, at Frankfurt am...
, Peter Drucker
Peter Drucker
Peter Ferdinand Drucker was an influential writer, management consultant, and self-described “social ecologist.”-Introduction:...
, Francis Ferguson, Theodore Roethke
Theodore Roethke
Theodore Roethke was an American poet, who published several volumes of poetry characterized by its rhythm, rhyming, and natural imagery. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1954 for his book, The Waking.-Biography:...
, and other noted teachers in their fields. She obtained her BA degree in Stanislavsky Drama in 1944.
After graduation, Carolyn became an occupational therapist for the U.S. Army and served at Torney General Hospital in Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
. When the war ended she returned to Nashville to continue her work at the Nashville Community Playhouse, paint and recover from her war experiences.
In 1946, Carolyn moved to Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
to study for her MA degree in Fine Arts and Theater Arts at the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
. She worked as a teaching assistant and began a Theater Arts department for the Denver Art Museum.
Involvement with the Beat Generation
In March 1947, Carolyn met Neal CassadyNeal Cassady
Neal Leon Cassady was a major figure of the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. He served as the model for the character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road....
, Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
and Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
. Allen stayed in her residence hotel apartment for two weeks before finding an apartment of his own and Jack accompanied her to rehearsals at the University. In the evenings Carolyn, Neal and Jack frequented Denver's clubs to dance and hear music. It was during this period that Carolyn and Neal began their love affair, though at the time he was still married to his first wife, LuAnne Henderson. In August 1947, Carolyn was shocked to find LuAnne, Neal and Allen naked, in bed together. She decided her brief romance with Neal was over and departed for Hollywood, CA on the promise of a job opening as costume designer for Western Costume Company.
While waiting for the job opening, Carolyn moved north to San Francisco, staying initially with an older married sister before finding temporary work and an apartment of her own. But five weeks after she left Denver, Neal re-entered her life and they resumed their romance. His marriage to LuAnne was annulled on March 31, 1948 and the next day Carolyn and Neal were married.
In a 2008 interview with literary magazine Notes from the Underground
Notes from the underground (creative writing paper)
Notes From The Underground is a creative writing free newspaper. Its first issue was distributed on the London Underground and in shops and libraries throughout London on 17 December 2007. It aims to function as a quality alternative free newspaper to those on the tube...
, Cassady stated that "As far as I'm concerned, the Beat Generation was something made up by the media and Allen Ginsberg." She goes on to say that Jack Kerouac could not stand the public image that was created for him.
Marriage to Neal Cassady
The job as costume designer finally came through, however Carolyn declined because she was pregnant. Neal worked at various jobs, finally becoming a brakeman for the Southern Pacific Railroad. On September 6, 1948 Carolyn gave birth to a daughter, Cathleen Joanne, the first of their three children. Carolyn expected life to settle down ; instead that December Neal spent their savings on a new Hudson and declared his intention to take a short trip to pick up Jack Kerouac and provide honeymoon transportation for friend Al Hinkle and his new bride to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Although Neal did make provisions for Carolyn's and baby Cathy's care, she considered Neal's sudden departure desertion and told him not to return.
Neal drove to Denver to pick up ex-wife LuAnne and then picked up Kerouac in North Carolina. The story was immortalized in Kerouac's On the Road
On the Road
On the Road is a novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, written in April 1951, and published by Viking Press in 1957. It is a largely autobiographical work that was based on the spontaneous road trips of Kerouac and his friends across mid-century America. It is often considered a defining work of...
. Believing the marriage was finished, Carolyn moved with her infant daughter to an apartment near Mission Dolores in San Francisco. At the end of January 1949, Neal dropped Jack and LuAnne off on a San Francisco street corner and was back in Carolyn's life. Neal took care of baby Cathleen during the day while Carolyn worked as an assistant to a radiologist.
In San Francisco Jack spent a few days as a guest in their apartment before returning to New York. After Neal resumed work with the Southern Pacific Railroad, the family moved to better housing. In 1952 Jack joined them for several months, beginning to write Visions of Neal, which later became On the Road, Visions of Cody, and other works. With Neal's encouragement, Carolyn and Jack began an affair that continued until 1960. In 1953, Jack joined Neal working as a brakeman for the Southern Pacific Railroad, and he lived with them after they moved to San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
.
Carolyn and Neal had two more children, a daughter, Jami, and a son, John Allen, who was named after Jack (Jean-Louis) Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. After receiving compensation from a railroad injury, they bought a home in Monte Sereno, California
Monte Sereno, California
Monte Sereno is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. The population was 3,341 at the 2010 census. The city is located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 10 miles southwest of San Jose and is immediately northwest of Los Gatos. The city is named for the 2249 ft...
, which was then part of Los Gatos, a suburb about fifty miles south of San Francisco. Jack, Allen, and the other Beat writers often visited their Monte Sereno home. Carolyn continued to paint portraits and became costume designer and make-up artist for the Los Gatos Academy of Dance, the Wagon Stagers, the San Jose Opera Company, the San Jose Light Opera Company, and the drama club of the University of Santa Clara.
In 1958, Neal was arrested by narcotic agents to whom he had given three marijuana cigarettes. He was accused of drug trafficking and served two years at San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men in unincorporated San Quentin, Marin County, California, United States. Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in the state. California's only death row for male inmates, the largest...
, leaving Carolyn to take care of their children and fend for herself on welfare. During this period she also continued her painting and theater work.
After Neal was released from prison, he lost his railroad job for good and became progressively less reliable. When his parole ended in 1963, Carolyn decided to divorce him, mostly to free him from the burden of family obligations, a decision she later regretted. Without employment or family to anchor him, Neal joined Ken Kesey's
Ken Kesey
Kenneth Elton "Ken" Kesey was an American author, best known for his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , and as a counter-cultural figure who considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. "I was too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a...
band of Merry Pranksters
Merry Pranksters
The Merry Pranksters were a group of people who formed around American author Ken Kesey in 1964 and sometimes lived communally at his homes in California and Oregon...
and embarked on an endless series of road trips, dying in San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende is a city and municipality located in the far eastern part of the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico. It is 274 km from Mexico City and 97 km from the state capital of Guanajuato...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
on February 4, 1968, four days short of his forty-second birthday. Although the exact cause of Neal's death was never determined, it is believed to have been caused by a combination of drug/alcohol use and exposure to the elements.
Later life
Carolyn worked at a local newspaper and for radiologists, and she also extended her theater activities. In 1970, Doubleday commissioned her to write her memoirs of her life with Neal and Jack. However she was unable to secure permission to print Kerouac's letters, and the book was temporarily shelved. Published in 1976, memoir Heart Beat: My Life with Jack and Neal was later made into the movie Heart Beat starring Sissy SpacekSissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek is an American actress and singer. She came to international prominence for her for role as Carrie White in Brian De Palma's 1976 horror film Carrie for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination...
as Carolyn.
Carolyn was a founding member of the Academy of Parapsychology and Medicine (APM) and during the early 1970s served for four years as their correspondence secretary. In this capacity, she met many interesting people in the occult and medical world--Uri Geller
Uri Geller
Uri Geller is a self-proclaimed psychic known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other supposed psychic effects. Throughout the years, Geller has been accused of using simple conjuring tricks to achieve the effects of psychokinesis and telepathy...
, Andrija Puharich
Andrija Puharich
Andrija Puharich, MD original name is Henry K. Puharich, . He was an Army officer in the early 1950s. During that time, he was in and out of Edgewood Arsenal Research Laboratories and Camp Detrick, meeting with various high-ranking officers and officials, primarily from the Pentagon, CIA, and Naval...
, the Findhorn people, and astronaut Marcus Bach, who started an institution much like the APM after he'd seen the earth as a blue jewel. She also became acquainted with eminent astrologer Dane Rudhyar
Dane Rudhyar
Dane Rudhyar , born Daniel Chennevière, was an author, modernist composer and humanistic astrologer. He was the pioneer of modern transpersonal astrology.-Biography:...
, and she corresponded with one of the Russian scientists behind the book "Psychic Discoveries Behind The Iron Curtain."
When the APM closed, Carolyn served as office manager for a company that imported bamboo stakes from China to stock American nurseries.
After all three children had married and left home, Carolyn longed for more cultural life than was available in the San Francisco suburbs. Her ancestors were all buried in England, and she had been brought up with many English customs, so in 1983 she moved to London, England. With London as her home base, she traveled extensively in Europe, Scandinavia and the Soviet Union, making many friends. In 1990, her memoirs were finally published in London as Off the Road: Twenty Years With Cassady, Kerouac and Ginsberg. Carolyn participated in the 2011 documentary film Love Always, Carolyn
Love Always, Carolyn
Love Always, Carolyn is a 2011 English-language Swedish documentary film written and directed by Malin Korkeasalo and Maria Ramström. The film is about Carolyn Cassady's recollection of life with husband Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac, and her concern that the truth about these men is being lost in...
in which she claims she is fighting a losing battle for the truth about Neal Cassady and Kerouac. She currently makes her home in the country near Bracknell, about an hour outside London.
Depicted in fiction
In Kerouac's novel On the Road Carolyn's character is named "Camille". In the 2011 film adaptation On the Road (film)On the Road (film)
On the Road is a 2012 film adaptation of the Jack Kerouac novel of the same name directed by Walter Salles and starring Sam Riley as Sal Paradise and Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty. It is being executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola. Filming began on August 4, 2010, in Montreal, Canada, with...
, Camille is portrayed by Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Caroline Dunst is an American actress, singer and model. She made her film debut in Oedipus Wrecks, a short film directed by Woody Allen for the anthology New York Stories...
.
External links
- Official Neal Cassady Site Authored by Carolyn Cassady and Family
- Official Web Site for John Allen Cassady - Carolyn's son
- Literary Kicks - Carolyn Cassady
- Review of Heart Beat
- Carolyn Cassady, an Interview
- On the Road to Desolation - BBC Film
- "For Beat's Sake" An Interview with Carolyn Cassady
- Carolyn Cassady @Kerouac Alley
- Victoria Mixon's Interviews with Carolyn Cassady