Ken Kesey

American novelist (1935–2001)
Person human Q244390
Ken Kesey
Associated Students of the California Institute of Technology (ASCIT) · Public Domain · Wikimedia
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Ken Kesey

Summary

Ken Kesey is a human[1]. His place of birth was La Junta[2]. He was born on September 17, 1935[3]. He died in Sacred Heart Medical Center University District[4]. He died on November 10, 2001[5]. He worked as a writer[6], novelist[7], essayist[8], children's writer[9], and amateur wrestler[10]. He has Wikipedia articles in 26 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[11]

Key Facts

  • Ken Kesey was born in La Junta[2].
  • Ken Kesey passed away in Sacred Heart Medical Center University District[4].
  • Ken Kesey was born on September 17, 1935[3].
  • Ken Kesey died on November 10, 2001[5].
  • Ken Kesey is buried at Kesey Family Farm Cemetery[12].
  • Ken Kesey's father was Fred Alvin Kesey[13].
  • Ken Kesey's mother was Geneva Wilma Smith[14].
  • A child of Ken Kesey was Sunshine Kesey[15].
  • Ken Kesey held citizenship in United States[16].
  • Ken Kesey worked as a writer[6].
  • Ken Kesey's professions included novelist[7].
  • Ken Kesey's professions included essayist[8].
  • Ken Kesey's professions included children's writer[9].
  • Ken Kesey worked as an amateur wrestler[10].
  • Ken Kesey's field of work was literature[17].
  • Ken Kesey's field of work was postmodern literature[18].
  • Ken Kesey was educated at University of Oregon[19].
  • Ken Kesey's education included a stint at Stanford University[20].
  • Ken Kesey's education included a stint at Springfield High School[21].
  • A notable work attributed to Ken Kesey is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest[22].
  • A notable work attributed to Ken Kesey is Sometimes a Great Notion[23].
  • Ken Kesey was influenced by Jack Kerouac[24].
  • Ken Kesey was influenced by William S. Burroughs[25].
  • Ken Kesey was influenced by William Faulkner[26].
  • Ken Kesey is recorded as male[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Ken Kesey's place of birth was La Junta[2]. He was born on September 17, 1935[3]. His father was Fred Alvin Kesey[13]. His mother was Geneva Wilma Smith[14].

Education

Educated at University of Oregon[19], a public university[28], in United States[29], founded in 1876[30], headquartered in Eugene[31]; Stanford University[20], a private university[32], in United States[33], founded in 1885[34], headquartered in Stanford[35]; and Springfield High School[21], a high school[36], in United States[37].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include writer[6], novelist[7], essayist[8], children's writer[9], and amateur wrestler[10]. Fields of work include literature[17], a type of arts[38] and postmodern literature[18], a literary movement[39].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest[22], a literary work[40], founded in 1962[41] and Sometimes a Great Notion[23], a literary work[42].

Personal Life

A child of Ken Kesey was Sunshine Kesey[15].

Death and Burial

Ken Kesey died on November 10, 2001[5]. He passed away in Sacred Heart Medical Center University District[4]. The cause of death was liver cancer[43]. Burial took place at Kesey Family Farm Cemetery[12].

Why It Matters

Ken Kesey has Wikipedia articles in 26 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[11] He is known by 34 alternative names across languages and contexts.[44]

He has been cited as an influence by Chuck Palahniuk[45], a writer[46], b. 1962[47], of United States[48], specialised in literary activity[49]; Jim Lynch[50], a novelist[51], b. 1961[52], of United States[53], awarded the George Polk Award[54]; Tom Wolfe[55], a journalist[56], 1930–2018[57], of United States[58], awarded the National Humanities Medal[59], specialised in literature[60]; Mariam Petrosyan[61], a writer[62], b. 1969[63], of Soviet Union[64], awarded the Bolshaya Kniga Award[65], specialised in creative and professional writing[66]; and Jeff Andrus[67], a screenwriter[68], 1947–2011[69], of United States[70].

Works attributed to him include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest[71], a literary work[72], founded in 1962[73] and Sometimes a Great Notion[74], a literary work[75].

FAQs

Where was Ken Kesey born?

Born in La Junta[2], Ken Kesey…

Where did Ken Kesey die?

Ken Kesey passed away in Sacred Heart Medical Center University District[4].

Who were Ken Kesey's parents?

Ken Kesey's father was Fred Alvin Kesey[13]. Ken Kesey's mother was Geneva Wilma Smith[14].

What did Ken Kesey do for work?

Ken Kesey worked as writer[6], novelist[7], essayist[8], children's writer[9], and amateur wrestler[10].

Where did Ken Kesey go to school?

Ken Kesey was educated at University of Oregon[19], Stanford University[20], and Springfield High School[21].

Who did Ken Kesey influence?

Ken Kesey has been cited as an influence by Chuck Palahniuk[45], Jim Lynch[50], Tom Wolfe[55], and Mariam Petrosyan[61].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] . wikidata.org.
  3. [27] . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  4. [13] . Genealogics. wikidata.org.
  5. [14] . Genealogics. wikidata.org.
  6. [16] . wikidata.org.
  7. [15] . wikidata.org.
  8. [19] . wikidata.org.
  9. [20] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  10. [21] . wikidata.org.
  11. [17] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  12. [18] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  13. [6] . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  14. [7] . wikidata.org.
  15. [8] . wikidata.org.
  16. [9] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  17. [10] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  18. [12] . Find a Grave. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  19. [43] . wikidata.org.
  20. [3] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  21. [5] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  22. [24] . wikidata.org.
  23. [25] . wikidata.org.
  24. [26] . wikidata.org.
  25. [22] . wikidata.org.
  26. [23] . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [45] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [50] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [55] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [61] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [67] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [71] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [74] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [28] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [29] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [30] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [31] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [32] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [33] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [47] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [48] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [49] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [51] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [52] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [54] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [56] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [58] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [59] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [60] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [62] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [64] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [65] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [68] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  35. [69] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  36. [70] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  37. [72] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  38. [73] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  39. [75] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  2. [44] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Ken Kesey. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/ken-kesey
MLA “Ken Kesey.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 10 Apr. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/ken-kesey.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_ken-kesey_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Ken Kesey}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/ken-kesey}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-10}}
LLM prompt According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): Ken Kesey — https://4ort.xyz/entity/ken-kesey (retrieved 2026-04-10)

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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 4w ago · Jindřich Rubeš · 2026-06-12 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Field of work
    Child Sunshine Kesey
    Svkkl authority id p0000236-Kesey-Ken-19352001
    Official website http://www.intrepidtrips.com/
    + 34 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbcreateclaim-create:1| */ [[Property:P9322]]: p0000236-Kesey-Ken-19352001, [[:toollabs:quickstatements/#/batch/259494|batch #259494]]"
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