Ken Kesey Against the Disciplinary Society

How can creativity become a form of resistance and a way to move beyond the limits of a disciplinary society?
This Saturday, we invite you to explore the literary and social practices of the author of a world-famous bestseller — a writer whose biography remains largely unknown.

Ken Kesey was a peculiar figure. The author of the universally acclaimed, repeatedly staged and adapted debut novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, as well as the more controversially received second novel Sometimes a Great Notion. At a certain point, Kesey bought a bus, painted it in bright, joyful colors, named it Furthur, and left his writing career behind to become a guru of the psychedelic movement.

During the session, we will examine how Kesey’s literary and social practices release flows of desire; how they resonate with French post-structuralist philosophy; what makes them problematic; and what, ultimately, lies beyond them.

The meeting will be led by Nikita Nemtsev — writer, musician, and essayist, Master of Philology (RSUH).