A recreation of Ken Kesey’s famous psycheldelic bus, Further, drove through Eugene last week, driven by son Zane Kesey.
“It was about the kids, the truth and the weed,” said former University of Oregon English professor Jenie Murphy of Ken Kesey’s life, while riding Further. The bus traveled Eugene on Thursday Jan. 16 in celebration of the premiere of a documentary about Kesey at the McDonald Theatre.
Kesey put his more storable works on deposit in the Knight Library in the late ’60s upon his realization of their value. “He knew it was valuable,” said manuscripts librarian Linda Long. Throughout the years he would come to see them. Upon his death in 2001, to view the collection, researchers and scholars would have to get permission from widow Faye Kesey to view the archives. In June 2013, UO gained the property rights to the collection, which makes it available to anyone without having to gain permissions from the Kesey family. The acquisition of the property rights was “at least a two-year process,” Long said.
UO President Michael Gottfredson put up a majority of the money of the purchase himself, and Keri Aronson and the library are now fundraising to pay him back for his contribution to the purchase of the collection and to fund its preservation. “(The collection) strikes a chord in a lot of Oregonians’ hearts,” said Aronson.
According to Aronson, the library is “trying to work with the community” in attempts to fundraise. Prior to the collections purchase, Voodoo Doughnuts donated $10,000 with proceeds from their “Easy Peasy Lemon Kesey” doughnut. Currently, Rogue Ales has created the “One Brew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” ale, part of the proceeds of which will go to the collection. They are also working with Townshend’s Eugene Tea House, who are creating the “Just Ginger” tea, part of the proceeds will also go to the collection.
The archives include the original manuscript for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” original screenplay for “Sometimes a Great Notion,” as well as letters, illustrations and his Jail Journal, which were published after his death.
Matt Love, author of “Sometimes a Great Movie,” a non-fiction book about the filming of Kesey’s “Sometimes a Great Notion” on the Oregon Coast, began getting audiences at his readings to write postcards addressed to Phil Knight asking him to fund the collection in May 2012. “I’ve been doing this a long time,” Love said. “I’ve probably sent a couple thousand.”
To promote the documentary, Further and its followers came to the UO campus on Jan. 16. While “My Humps” by the Black Eyed Peas played out of the speakers on the bus, Zane Kesey entertained his riders with anecdotes about driving the bus that lacks power steering. “Five percent of people will ignore the fuck out of you when you drive by.”
“I almost went to class and then I was like, that’s a sick bus,” said UO senior Jamie Gerber.
The bus drove from its home at the Kesey farm in Pleasant Hill. “The bus was his best work,” Murphy said.
New additions came to the collection around 2008 according to Long. The newer additions include notes, photos and slides.
“I’m never going to stop,” said Love. “I’ll send thank you postcards.”