Cathy Cassady: Travel Tips for the Timid
Join us for an afternoon with Cathy Cassady, eldest daughter of Neal and Carolyn Cassady, and editor of the newly published Travel Tips for the Timid, written and richly illustrated by Carolyn.
For many years, and somewhat unbeknownst to her children until after her passing, Carolyn Cassady remained hard at work writing and painting, and this book is part of the trove of art and writing she left behind. Travel Tips for the Timid follows Carolyn’s journeys abroad with her children, dispelling the kind of surprises that often catch travelers—particularly first-time travelers—by surprise.
This event will include readings from the book, as well as a discussion and Q&A with Cathy about Carolyn’s exceptional life and work.
Carolyn Cassady (April 28, 1923–September 20, 2013), immortalized as “Camille” in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, graduated from Bennington College with a degree in Drama. She moved to Denver to pursue her Masters in Theater Arts; while there, she met and married Neal Cassady, who became known as the inspiration for Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and Ken Kesey. But Carolyn was a prolific artist in her own right. Aside from enjoying painting, sculpting, drafting, block printing, embroidery, upholstering, and theater arts, she also published two memoirs, Heart Beat and Off the Road. She was fortunate enough to be able to pursue her passion for the theater as the Artistic Director for both the San Jose Light Opera Company and the Santa Clara University Drama Department. For many years, she designed stage sets, costumes, and hairstyles for the local dance school. When her three kids were grown and gone, Carolyn moved to England, where she lived her remaining thirty years.