Beat Generation Gallery

NEAL CASSADY WATCHING OUT FOR THE COPS
Oakland 1966

While waiting for Ken Kesey to arrive, Cassady kept a lookout for the cops. Kesey was a fugitive at the time. Cassady asked me, "What's the heat like around here, man?" Thinking he was talking about the weather, I said, "Pretty nice." He gave me the weirdest look, then I knew what he meant.

KEN KESEY / PROFILE
Oakland, 1966

Fugitive Ken Kesey was giving a talk to some students at the California College of Arts and Crafts when I shot this picture. I sent Neal Cassady some prints. The FBI intercepted Cassady's mail, found this photograph and put it on a wanted poster. It was the only current profile they had of Kesey.

CASSADY AND MURPHY
Oakland 1966

Neal Cassady, and an old girlfriend of his, Ann Murphy, were at CCAC to attend an underground lecture. The lecture was by Ken Kesey, who had jumped bail and was now a wanted fugitive. Cassady was there at my school to be sure no cops were around before Kesey arrived.

GYPSY & CASSADY
Oakland, 1966

Gypsy was a Hell's Angel from Colorado, where he said he knew Dylan. Neal Cassady is lighting Gypsy's cigarette from his, in this photograph. Both of them were talking in 'con talk' most of the time. Neal asks Gypsy "Hey, have you got any animals, man?" Gypsy replies that he doesn't have any animals. Later, I asked Gypsy what Cassady asked him for and he said that Neal wanted some Camel cigarettes.