Richard Brautigan

About

An American fiction writer and poet known for his frequent use of satire, black comedy, and parody, he is most famous for his 1967 novel, Trout Fishing in America. His other well-known works include In Watermelon Sugar (1968) and The Tokyo-Montana Express (1980).

Before Fame

He grew up in the Pacific Northwest and wrote for his Oregon high school's newspaper during his teenage years. In 1955, he was diagnosed with both clinical depression and paranoid schizophrenia.

Trivia

He died of a self-inflicted .44 Magnum gunshot wound to the head.

Family Life

He was born in Tacoma, Washington to a factory worker father and a waitress mother. In 1957, he married Virginia Dionne Alder; together, the couple had one daughter.

Associated With

He and Susan Eldridge both grew up in the Pacific Northwest.