Downstream from Trout Fishing in America: A Memoir of Richard Brautigan

by Keith Abbott

Literary Nonfiction. Memoir. In DOWNSTREAM FROM TROUT FISHING IN A MEMOIR OF RICHARD BRAUTIGAN, Keith Abbott paints a portrait of Richard Brautigan as a lovable and whimsical friend. Abbott explains the writer's dedication to the art of fiction and his quest to break beyond the pop culture, hippie label that haunted him until his suicide in1984. Brautigan's tight prose inspired authors such as Haruki Murakami, and his experimentation with the line won him accolades from authors like Ishmael Reed, Raymond Carver, and Michael McClure. His work is highly influential and Abbott draws a clear connection between Brautigan's life and his writing. This book is essential for anyone who is interested in the work of Richard Brautigan. Raymond Carver writes, "Truly the best thing I've ever seen written of the man."

Genres: Biography, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Nonfiction

174 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1989

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not often I read biographies or extended works of analysis of authors but I do make the occasional exception with some of my favorite authors and in recent years Richard Brautigan has risen to the top as one of my favorites. I’ve been trying to not burn through his bibliography too quickly so I thought this would be a great way to get my Brautigan fix without picking up another of his works too quickly after the last. In some ways this definitely filled my satisfaction but as a whole I’m not sure it offers a deserving assessment.

In typical Brautigan fashion this is a relatively short work. Under 200 pages and published just five years after Brautigan’s death this book looks to offer a more reputable account of his life given the amount of rumors and speculation that arose after his suicide in 1984. It also looks to honor and better eulogize Brautigan and his work as he fell farther into obscurity and his critical analysis waned.

Author Keith Abbott was a close friend of Brautigan. He writes this biography from his perspective, offering the occasional insight from mutual friends. This makes for an interesting take on a biography but one that is wholly incomplete. Since this is from his perspective he can only really comment on the parts of Brautigan’s life that he was a part of. Much of his early life, time in Japan, and end of life is omitted or at least referenced in a limited capacity.

While this makes for an incomplete experience, where it shines is where Abbott can offer anecdotes on Richard Brautigan the man and their friendship. These one off situations and stories might not be the most essential parts of Brautigan’s life but they are fun and offer a good insight into who he was as an everyday person.

I learned a lot about Brautigan reading this book but for every insight I was clued into I was also left with new questions and intrigues about his life. The limited capacity of this book may make it more akin to reading a Brautigan novel but as a whole it doesn’t really convey the life of Richard Brautigan very well.

The last chapter of this book is dedicated to the literary analysis of Brautigan’s work and style. This certainly was interesting. Abbott makes the argument that Brautigan’s work deserves more and better analysis. Getting a deeper look at Brautigan’s style sure is a value of reading this book but I also wish it was given more time to discuss than just the final chapter of an already short book. I recommend this to diehard Brautigan fans but it is hardly the definitive work on his life.

[Theo Logos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the past two months I took a deep dive into the works and life of Richard Brautigan. I read all of his novels (all but two rereads), his two volumes of stories, and two books of his poetry. Alongside this dive into his works I read William Hjortsberg’s massive (880 pages) biography, Ianthe Brautigan’s deeply personal memoir of her relationship with her father, and now this, Keith Abbott’s memoir of his friendship with Brautigan.

The three books examining Brautigan’s life have points in common. All were written by people who knew and loved him - Hjortsberg and Abbott both were long term friends of the author, and Ianthe Brautigan his daughter. Both Abbott and Hjortsberg, though less famous than their friend, were also novelist, and their novelistic flair is displayed in their Brautigan bios. All three offer insight into Brautigan’s often tragic life and are all recommended.

But if you only plan on reading one book on Brautigan, Abbott’s Downstream From Trout Fishing In America is your book. Ianthe Brautigan’s You Can’t Catch Death (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) is intensely personal and poignant, but largely limited to her relationship with her father and the effect his suicide had on her. William Hjortsberg’s Jubilee Hitchhiker (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) is a comprehensive treatment of Brautigan’s life that runs to over eight hundred pages. He took an objective approach, and referred to himself in the third person when he was part of Brautigan’s story. But Keith Abbott combined the virtues of both these others. Written as a memoir of their eighteen year friendship, his book has all the immediacy of that personal relationship, while still covering most of Brautigan’s career and capturing its entire arc, from his impoverished early career, through his meteoric rise to fame, and tragic decline and crash. And at under two hundred pages it is definitely more manageable than Hjortsberg’s tome.

[Mat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly written and Poignant memoir on one of the quirkiest, funniest and darkest literary
minds to emerge in twentieth century American letters.

This is not an in-depth biography but it does paint a vivid portrait of an incredibly talented, witty but haunted man.

In this memoir, Abbott writes about some beautiful moments he shared with Brautigan (the final story at the end of the book is great) but at the same time doesn't shirk away from the darker and more troubled aspects of Brautigan's life and depression and descent into alcoholism and despair. You'll read about his strange obsession and fear of guns, the groupies who followed him around like some faulknerian pied piper and even some great fishing tales. He really did love to fish which comes as no surprise considering that his most famous work is Trout Fishing in America. I was a little disappointed Abbott didn't touch on Brautigan's poetry but must admit his prose is generally more interesting. As Jack Spicer once pointed out to him, somewhat harshly, ”you're a prose writer Richard”.

The best part of the book is the final chapter which is a critique of his style and some of his themes. The level of insight he achieves is quite amazing and greatly enriched my understanding and appreciation of Brautigan's work.

An amazing book. Highly recommended.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could have read the giant 880-page biography about RB (and I heard it's awesome if you can stand it), but I opted for the shorter bio by Brautigan's friend, Keith Abbott. A lot of fun stories here and a good glimpse into what the famous author's life was like as he transformed into a San Francisco Diggers anarchist to a literary celebrity with a secretive, sometimes antagonistic side. Abbott's perspective is generous and insightful and the book is full of little asides that only Brautigan's friends would know, which makes this an entertaining read.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me feel happysad all over again about Richard Brautigan.

[Deacon D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy of this book formerly resided at the Burlingame Public Library in Burlingame, California. The last date on the DATE DUE insert reads MAY 15 1999. I wonder: Was this book ever returned? Or, was it liberated from the library by some literary lawbreaker on the lam, a renegade reader? Whatever may have happened to this book, no matter what mysterious journeys it may have made, ultimately I purchased it on Ebay from a gentleman in Nicholasville, Kentucky. It now stands on a somewhat dusty bookshelf in West Texas. I like to think that this book must have had an interesting life out in the world and has earned a rest.

Anyway, this is a book about Richard Brautigan, written by a man who knew him and loved him. It's pretty damn good.

[Ron Record · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best book on Brautigan I have read. Most reviewers just never "got" Brautigan and the subsequent works on his life and writing reflected those misconceptions, misunderstandings, and plain mistruths. Keith Abbott not only paints a loving portrait of the author, poet, and friend but provides us with what is perhaps the best literary analysis and review of Brautigan's writing.

I whole heartedly recommend this book not only for the Brautigan fanatic but I think it would make a great introduction to the reader just embarking on a study of Brautigan.

[Max Nemtsov · Rating 5 out of 5]

После биографии Хьёртсберга книжку Кита Эбботта в 170 страниц, казалось бы, можно и не читать, но думать так было б ошибкой. Она, конечно, фигурирует в источниках у Хьёртсберга, и наш эпический биограф кое-что из нее взял, но — далеко не все анекдоты о Бротигане, пусть и не такие обстоятельные. И предстает он в них, конечно, отнюдь не котиком (Хьёртсберг как основательный биограф старался сдерживаться, Эбботту это не нужно, у него просто мемуары).
Главное в ней — это взгляд на эпоху глазами человека, который ее пережил: я говорю главным образом о хиппейском Сан-Франциско середины 60-х — о той эпохе, которая обрела в нашем сознании прямо-таки мифические масштабы. Этот портрет периода, по необходимости обрывочный, конечно, в очередной раз бесценен: «лето любви» еще не наступило, вся романтика еще не обесценилась, пока у нас — плавная мутация бит-сцены 50-х. Автор наш вполне справедливо обращает внимание на патриотизм и политический консерватизм прото-хиппи и их любовь к (метафизической, впрочем) Америке — радикализовались-то они уже потом и далеко не все (мы же не забываем, что сексистские и фашистские коммуны тоже возникали, Мэнсон — отнюдь не паршивая овца в волосатой семейке, pun intended). Ну и 1967 год многое поменял: пресса прознала про «детей цветов», на Хейт-Эшбери ломанулся средний класс, и все заверте… Идеалам, уж какие ни были они, настал пиздец.
А заканчивается все неожиданно — блистательным, хоть и небольшим, литературоведческим очерком о стиле и тематике некоторых романов Бротигана (преимущественно ранних, поздние, по собственному признанию Эбботта, ему не нравятся — по-моему, зря он так, но хотя бы честно предупредил).

[Karlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful memoir of Richard Brautigan from Abbott which wraps up nicely with a small selection of photos and a critical examination of his work.

As a friend of Richard’s in his early, virtually penniless period as an author right through his success and down the other side, Abbot is well placed to reveal much about the man’s creativity and personality. He’s affectionate about his friend but, as a writer himself and having taught at the Naropa Institute, he’s also honest with his criticisms and flaws.

Abbott also delivers insight to the context of the times. This is vital in breaking through the myth that Brautigan is a hippy writer. He wrote before the hippies, found fame in that era, but equally continued to write right up to his death in 1984.

I learned much and the short book is both more portable than the mammoth Jubilee Hitchhiker and a perfect companion piece to Ianthe’s (Richard’s daughter)’s memoir You Can’t Catch Death.

rip Keith Abbott

[Pointyjess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read this book because Richard Brautigan is my favorite author and the interesting word usements he structures really connect with me on a personal level. As a result, I want to know more about him as a person.

I've read his daughter's memoir of him and enjoyed it but was anxious to read this one as well because the author was Brautigan's peer.

I really enjoyed everything Mr. Abbott had to relate about Brautigan the person. The book frequently delves into a technical analysis of his writing (the last chapter is entirely this) and that was of no interest to me (because technical analysis is still biased by the opinion of the person analyzing) and it made the tone of the book kind of rough and uneven; going from personal accounts of time spent with Brautigan to a cold, clinical dissection of his work.

Some of the descriptions of his writing process were interesting to me, but I think his work is more affected by Richard Brautigan the *person* instead of Richard Brautigan's writing process.

I gained new perspective of the person, however, and for that reason I enjoyed this book.

[Tom Romig · Rating 4 out of 5]

For quite a while it's been unfashionable to admit to enjoying Brautigan's work, so I might as well allow you to feel superior by admitting up front that I do appreciate his unusual style and imaginative whimsy. ("My cup of coffee changed into an albino polar bear: I mean, cold and black.") Keith Abbott's engaging and perceptively written memoir of Brautigan is an honest and compassionate account of Brautigan's tragic life: the early abuse and neglect that led to his chronic anxiety and insomnia, his desperate need to be successful as a writer, the irony of his undoing by the fame he achieved. One of the rewards of the memoir is to get to know Abbott himself, a fine writer and a kind, generous, and big-hearted human being. His insightful and convincing analysis of Brautigan's style and themes in the last section does justice to Brautigan's art.

[Jim Krotzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Downstream from Trout Fishing in America is a short biography of the mysterious writer Richard Brautigan. Abbott describes how the public views Brautigan as a trendy product of the hippie movement; however, Brautigan wrote his four books years before Haight-Ashbury became a hippie haven. Brautigan's youth, fame, and demise are interesting. There is a last section that discusses the style and themes of Trout Fishing and another novel The Confederate General from Big Sur. If you like Richard Brautigan's writing, this book would be very helpful for understanding him and his books.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks, Matthew, for an enlightening ramble through Brautigan's life and writing, by his long-time friend Abbott. I read Brautigan back in the 1970s, when we rode the same bus line into downtown SF, and occasionally since then, and I've always found his work intriguing and colorful, if often reflective of his dark moods and struggles. His life's passages - with many other colorful characters whose works I have enjoyed, like Tom McGuane and Peter Fonda - provide a fascinating context for his writings.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keith Abbott writes an enjoyable, accessible memoir of his friendship with author Richard Brautigan, from the funky early days in San Francisco and the start of RB's career as a writer through his growing success and fame and regular trips to his remote ranch in Montana and ultimately to his descent into paranoia and alcoholism, ending with his suicide in 1984. Some of the most famous anecdotes are included here, and Abbott tells them well, having experienced them firsthand.

[Derek Pyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned a lot more about Richard Brautigan's writing style, which was interested... While I don't particularly like Brautigan, it helped me apprieciate his sensibility and unique style. Keith mentions many times Richard's rough childhood but never really goes in depth-my main frustration with the book. Other than that, a well thought out read and interesting picture of an author.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn depressing book--explores Brautigan's life through the eyes of one of his friends.

[Dan Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Brautigan has been one of my favorite writers for about 25 years now. A friend introduced me to him; he also introduced me to a band - The Tragically Hip - that would become my favorite band. Maybe I was in a suggestible state that year.
Brautigan has become an invisible friend, I suppose. Few of my friends are familiar with him. None quite understand why I collect his work. And I can't make anyone else "get" Brautigan; his style either resonates with a reader or it doesn't. It's like a dog trying to turn a person on to a dog whistle. It just isn't in the cards.
Abbot's memoir of Brautigan is both beautiful and heartbreaking. I have read the massive "Jubilee Hitchhiker," which is exhaustively researched and impossible for all but the most devoted fans to navigate. "Downstream" is a much easier read; I banged it out in two days. It is a sympathetic look at the man behind "Trout Fishing in America" and a fascinating look at how that man changed - how fame, success, and lack of success affected his character and personality.
I didn't particularly care for the final chapter of literary criticism. Abbot discuss the details of Brautigan's suicide and says he doesn't want to end the story on such a dark note, so he tacks on 30 pages of hit-and-miss analysis of Richard's work. It's a clumsy way of finishing a very sweet and insightful memoir, reducing the man to miscellaneous samples of sentence structure and and criticism.
"Downstream" is accessible and moving ... but, like Brautigan, imperfect.

[Ryan Dickinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is lovely little biography by one of Richard's friends from just before he was famous up until his last few months. It was refreshing to read something like this by someone who was there with RB and enjoyed the man and his eccentricities.

The underlying takeaway with this book was just sadness, for me at least. It shows the unravelling of a brilliantly talented man who just didn't seem to fit in with the world and his surroundings, like a slightly too big jigsaw piece. His book sales and success seemed to be the commodity that validated him, and when his success started to wane so did he. He drank too much and just seemed to be smashing the self destruct button at every available opportunity.

The author writes about the graces of the main as well as his many foibles, along with some constructive criticism of his works. Along the way there are some funny anecdotes from parties, 'nothing to do' days, artists' events and RB's friends.

The only negative of this book which stops me giving it 5 stars is the final chapter where Abbott gives a more detailed approach/critique on his works which just comes across as quite sterile, especially as it just ends with that; with no final page giving us some sort of summation of the man from a human point of view.

[Lee Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I still feel as if I've outgrown Richard Brautigan's writing; rereading it as an older person fills me with the warmth of nostalgia, but he's not an author I'd recommend to anyone over 30. That said, I also still feel the possessive and fierce love and protectiveness towards him that one has for anyone/thing that one discovers in his or her teenage years. (Spookily, a man on my television was just telling Pat Sajak of his career as a trout fisherman; seeing as the only reason I was watching "Wheel of Fortune" was I was too busy writing this review to get up and grab the remote, I'll take it as a sign from the beyond.)

So while I enjoyed getting some behind the scenes stories of Brautigan from a man who knew him when, I was disappointed with how little I really got from this slim volume. It ended up being an 153-page slog, full of armchair psychology and a really long, terrible chapter at the end that was supposed to serve as a critical analysis of Brautigan's work. Does this make me nervous about the 864-page biography I still have waiting in my to-read pile? Yes, yes it does. I'll give it a few years before I dive into that.

[Jeffrey Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keith Abbott was a long-standing friend of Richard Brautigan and is able not only to bring valuable recollection but also historical context and literary analysis. Lovers of Brautigan's work who struggle with his biography gain insight into the man whose work became inextricably famous during the hippie movement, connections Brautigan both embraced and later chafed against. Abbott also is able to tell the story of Brautigan's mental health issues, a struggle Brautigan ultimately lost. The story is particularly poignant because Abbott is able to recount his own attempts to help his friend and offer reflections about why those attempts ultimately failed. I have been devoted to Brautigan's surreal poignant, sometimes cranky, American whimsy since first encountering his early work in 1970 and came to Abbott's book late in 2018. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the biography of a writer who, for me, gave me a reason to read and write and who I consider an American wellspring.

[Thomas McDade · Rating 5 out of 5]

An example of Brautigan's gift of imagination Abbott quoting Trout Fishing in American.

"Saturday was the first day of autumn and there was a festival being held at the church of Saint Francis. It was a hot day and the Ferris wheel was turning in the air like a thermometer bent in a circle and given the grace of music."

A Review from Amazon
In Downstream From Trout Fishing In America: A Memoir of Richard Brautigan, Keith Abbott paints a portrait of Richard Brautigan as a lovable and whimsical friend. Abbott explains the writer's dedication to the art of fiction and his quest to break beyond the pop culture, hippie label that haunted him until his suicide in1984. Brautigan's tight prose inspired authors such as Haruki Murakami, and his experimentation with the line won him accolades from authors like Ishmael Reed, Raymond Carver, and Michael McClure. His work is highly influential and Abbott draws a clear connection between Brautigan's life and his writing. This book is essential for anyone who is interested in the work of Richard Brautigan. As Raymond Carver wrote of this biography: "Truly the best thing I've ever seen written of the man."

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Scott Ballard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting insight into Brautigan and the contexts that helped shape his style.