Some folks in the Eugene area have gotten the notion to memorialize Ken Kesey, the well-known Oregon author and Merry Prankster. Led by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, Brian Lanker, a group of admirers has been raising money over the last year to fund a large bronze sculptural piece which will grace the main plaza in downtown Eugene. Crafted by sculptor and Kesey friend, Pete Helzer, the memorial will consist of a lifesize Kesey, clad in suspenders, reading to three children seated on a curved granite bench. The bench will be adorned with quotes from his best-known works, Sometimes a Great Notion and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. 

To raise funds to cover the project's estimated cost of $120,000, supporters have been seeking cash donations and selling a commemorative poster of Kesey (see attachment), a photograph taken of Kesey not long before his death by Brian Lanker.  

Admiration isn't the exclusive province of Eugene, with donations and poster requests coming in from all over the US. The list of donors and supporters to date include authors, musicians, celebrities and philanthropists, including Phil Knight, Paul Newman (who starred in the film adaptation of Kesey's Sometimes A Great Notion), Michael Douglas (who produced the film version of Cuckoo's Nest), Tom Robbins, Jean Auel, Larry McMurtry, Bob Weir, Rich Brooks, Brian Booth, Dave Frohnmayer, Mason Williams and Kenny Moore. 

Supporters hope to have enough money raised in time for the statue to be completed and unveiled during a Kesey Symposium to be held on the University of Oregon campus in mid-November.  Scholars from all over the US will attend to present papers on Kesey, his works and his literary influence, and to catch a glimpse of Further, Kesey's famous psychedelic bus. Posters are available for $25 in selected bookstores and galleries around the state and by mail

        (Ken Kesey Memorial, 1993 Kimberly Drive, Eugene 97405). 

Tax-deductible donations may be sent to the same address. Donors of $500 or more will receive one of a special limited-edition run of the posters on archival paper numbered and signed by Brian Lanker.  Additionally, donors of $1,000 or more will be permanently recognized on a plaque to be placed on the memorial statue's bench. 

A statue of Kesey....indeed a great notion.

© 2003 Cathy Briner