Stories about Richard Brautigan by Greg Keeler

Greg Keeler & Richard Brautigan 1982

The Ghost Of Richard Brautigan on Trail Creek
Copyright © 1991, Greg Keeler

Trail Creek where?
And what was he using?
Flies tied from spun diamond?
Did he know the algebra
of the stones?
Was his hair its
usual silly gold?
Did he fall and fill
his purple polka-dot
waders? Did his words
hover over pools
like clouds of midges?
No?
Then there's still hope.

Lord Gear,

Here's a sonnet I wrote to go after one of the chapters in the Richard memoir. I tried to be true to both Keats and Richard. Good luck on that one, huh?

Lord Glob

Ode to the Melancholic

"She dwells with Beauty--Beauty that must die"
John Keats

Put down that Dickel, drop that .44.
The true connoisseur takes his heartache
full-on. Were you less alive before
you knew her than you are now? So take
all that sorrow and glut it on a rainbow
trout or a river full of light. Women--
to you, they’re only beautiful when they go
away or die, and joy’s only joy when
you know it’s going to turn to shit. Time
leaks out of the clock and poisons all the flowers.
You there, hiding in your little shrine
of bullet holes, don’t try to trade your hours
for sleep. You’d just as well hang your soul
on a bowling trophy as lose it on a girl.

Troutball Main Page

Gorgo's Stories about Richard Brautagan
Copyright © 2002 Greg Keeler

This is a work in progress and is being edited and added to on an ongoing basis. It will probably continue until Greg's Alzheimer's kicks in.

I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XIII XXIV XXV XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXVIV XXX XXXI XXXII	Four Thousand Dollars April Residency Tony "Apocalypse" Dingman Attack of Thistles The Night of the Living Borscht Fishing A Lesson in Conceptual Criticism Rip, Tom, and Tony Torn Meet Their Match at Chico Hot Springs The So the Wind Won't Blow It All Away Airplane Richard and My Music Richard, Masako, and Ianthe A Party Dobro Dick Professor Brautigan Lady Marian Judy and Richard Montana Elephant Spring The Eagles Bar Goodbye Bolinas Ode To Melancholy Perma Park The Captain s Kindnesses Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll The Restaurant at the Bottom of the Night Me And Mr. Death Funny The Captain Gives A Reading The Captain Gives A Couple More Readings Phoney Bologna We All Look Alike Captain Random Right Up To My ears New 4/12/03

Quotes From Richard

Ten Letters from Richard Brautigan to Greg Keeler 1983-1984

Photograph Index
Richard In Boulder
Richards Barn in Paradise Valley Montana
Conceptual Art (see story VII)
Authors Copy Of The Wind Won't Blow It All Away
More Photo's Of Brautigaphanalia Coming Soon

Tokyo Interview - Richard Offers Greg Some Whiskey - MP3
Here's a recording of Greg visiting Richard at his place in Paradise Valley while reporters from FM Tokyo are interviewing him. This is the first part of Greg's arrival at that interview and song where Richard offers him some whiskey. In the background, you can here Greg asking the Japanese if they've ever heard of a sculpin.

Tokyo Interview - Richard Introduces Greg-MP3
He introduces Greg on his back porch who then sings some songs for Richard's segment called "Welcome to Hard Times: The Tokyo Montana Express. This recording is of the beginning of "The Ballad of Billy Montana."

Tokyo Interview - Beestung Balladeer - MP3
This is the end of the FM Tokyo recording of the Ballad of Billy Montana. Greg hesitates when a bee stings him, and when the song is over, Richard gets some yucks out of his misfortune. In both of these recordings, the voice-over is a translation for the Tokyo audience.