The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and Takin' it to the Streets as Drug-influenced Literature Art influenced by drugs faces a unique challenge from the mainstream: prove its legitimacy despite its "tainted" origins. The established judges of culture tend to look down upon drug-related art and artists, as though it is the drug and not the artist that is doing the creating. This conflict, less intense but still with us today, has its foundations in the 1960s. As the Beatnik, Hippie, and psychedelic
of the Night and Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test may seem very similar. They are both centered on a major author of the 1960s and his experiencing of historical events of the time, while set in the style of New Journalism. When examined closer, though, it becomes apparent that these novels represent two very different sides of New Journalism – Armies of the Night an autobiography with personal and political motivations, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test a sociological piece which tries
1) Title of Book: The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test 2) Author: Tom Wolfe 3) The grounds on which Thomas Wolfe created this documentation of the Merry Pranksters is that he attempts to re-create both the mental and physical atmosphere of their adventure and exploration across America. 4) Specific evidence in supporting the aforementioned thesis can be found in the “Author’s Note” section of the book but also in the writing style used to develop this masterpiece. Writing in a basic journal style, Wolfe
Ken Elton Kesey was born on September 17, 1935 (The Oregon Historical Society). Kesey was a star wrestler in Springfield, Oregon where he was raised. He was the recipient of two different scholarships, to the University of Oregon and Stanford University. He then went on to become a successful author and write several memorable novels including One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Sailor Song, and Sometimes a Great Nation (Ken Kesey Biography). In 1975, one of these novels, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Barbaric treatments for mental patients such as lobotomies and electric shock therapy were often used in mid-twentieth century psychiatric wards. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, set in one of these wards, is a fictional novel about committed mental patient R. P. McMurphy and his power struggle with the emasculating Nurse Ratched. The mastermind behind this novel, Ken Kesey, was a prominent figure in American counter-culture who struggled with figures of power during his lifetime as well. Ken Kesey
awareness caused him to believe that these psychedelic drugs could enable him to see things the way they were truly meant to be seen. After working as a test subject for the hospital, Kesey was able to get a job working as a psychiatric aide. This was the next significant factor in writing the book. "Sometimes he would go to work high on acid (LSD) (323)." By doing so, he was able to understand the pain felt by the patients on the ward. In addition, the job allowed him to examine everything
“Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search for a Kool Place” was written and directed by Alex Gibney and Alison Ellwood. The documentary is based on the words and recordings of Ken Kesey and the unseen footage from the 1964 cross country trip. The voiceover is done by Stanley Tucci. “Magic Trip” was produced by Will Clarke, Mr. Gibney and Alexandra Johnes and released by Magnolia Pictures. This documentary was compiled from home videos shot by Kesey and the Pranksters, which lends itself to a sense of authenticity
The ideas put forth in Marshall McLuhan's Media Hot and Cold, present many theories regarding the effects of media on the world. What qualifies as media, in essence, is any experience or information, imparted on the awareness of an individual and/or societies. These can be physical or nonphysical influences. TV and radio are examples of physical media. Their effects and evolution can be easily observed. However, and perhaps more importantly, McLuhan examines those nonphysical influences which can
<http://www.charm.net/~brooklyn/People/JackKerouac. html> Kerouac, Jack. Big Sur. New York: Viking Press, 1959. --- The Dharma Bums. New York: Viking Press, 1958. --- On the Road. New York: Viking Press, 1957. Wolfe, Tom. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. New York: Bantam Books, 1968.
LSD is a powerful mind altering substance that can not only change one’s consciousness but also an entire society. It created it’s own culture, and without it America wouldn’t be the same. LSD-25, or d-lysergic acid diethylamide, is a fairly common and remarkably powerful psychoactive drug. This semi synthetic hallucinogen was first synthesized in 1938 by Albert Hofman. It is almost always taken orally, by way of sugar cubes, infused into treats, or more commonly in blotters. It is very strong
and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide; "acid"), and attempted to recreate drug-induced states through the use of overdriven guitar, amplified feedback, and droning guitar motifs influenced by Eastern music. This psychedelic consciousness was seeded, in the United States, by countercultural gurus such as Dr. Timothy Leary, a Harvard University professor who began researching LSD as a tool of self-discovery from 1960, and writer Ken Kesey who with his Merry Pranksters staged Acid Tests--multimedia "happenings"
pursue higher education and to have successful careers (Petechuk 9). To most, this statistic would seem unearthly, but LSD is notorious for giving keen insights to life, which is the main interest for consumers. The components of LSD are lysergic acid and diethylamide. LSD is often classified as a synthetic drug because it is produced only in a laboratory (Petechuk 10). Addiction is a recurrence for many drugs with the exception of LSD. “LSD is not considered an addictive drug because it does
Hunter S. Tompson and Gonzo Journalism In the late sixties a young journalist and free-lance novelist named Hunter S. Thompson (HST) emerged with a new, crazed and exaggerated brand of reporting. It was sooner or later referred to as “Gonzo”. HST’s own definition of gonzo has varied over the years, but he still maintains that a good gonzo journalist “needs the talent of a master journalist, the eye of an artist/photographer and the heavy balls of an actor” and that gonzo is a “style of reporting
An individual who grows up in a home without affection knows no other way of life. The bond of family is arguably the strongest bond between two humans, but when that bond breaks, individuals may feel lost and helpless. Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood reconstructs an apparently motiveless murder and its aftermath, in an attempt to interpret the minds of outcasts Perry Smith and Richard Hickock. In the process, Capote draws parallels between Smith and himself and reveals that unrealistic dreams can
nuclear war became all too real in 1962 as the launch of nuclear missiles became an abundantly clear possibility. The drug culture emerged in the 1960’s in large part due to the newfound accessibility of illegal drugs, such as marijuana and Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, or LSD. American society was entrenched in the chaotic desire for new, improved highs. The profound ascent of the drug culture was truly realized when the 3-day music festival, Woodstock, took place in 1969, as “sex, drugs and rock n’
Inverted pyramid. Unbiased news gathering. Objectivity in reporting. Professionalism. Routines that would regulate news reports, translating information to readers, regardless of geography. Journalism spent the better part of the 20th century routinizing the news, attempting to shed its seedy past of “yellow journalism” amid the challenges of new technologies, first the radio, followed by the television. Then came the tumultuous 1950s and 1960s. Suddenly, the same tides of changes that were sweeping
Lunatics Taking Over the Asylum: Cultural Chaos in 1960s America All You Need Is Hate If life in the 1960s was a collective journey to the Underworld, then it is terrifying to notice how many of us have failed to come back. (Marshall Berman, The Sixties) The 1960s formed one of the most culturally complex periods in America’s history, and the analysis of this era is just as problematic. During this time, American society experienced an outpouring of filmic, literary and musical texts that challenged