For the first time in its 26-year history, Tsunami Books in Eugene has published its first book. Its inaugural publication is titled “Cronies”, a memoir by a longtime counterculture icon.
86-year-old Ken Babbs was a close friend of writer Ken Kesey, and a founder of the Merry Pranksters. The group did a cross-country bustour in 1964, experimenting with LSD and challenging conventional norms.
Babbs said his wife, Eileen, taught American Literature at South Eugene High School for 19 years, and often had him talk to her students. That was the seed for “Cronies.”
“I saw that this could be a book," he told KLCC. "Talking about how Kesey and I met, the escapades we had and then I just kept adding on all the other people that we have done stuff with from 1958 to 2001 when he died.”
Babbs said many publishers turned down his book, but Scott Landfield of Tsunami Books was receptive. Landfield tells KLCC that they had a ready crew of qualified editors, and knew Babb’s book would be good.
“Cronies” officially releases January 11th. An interview with Babbs will be aired next week on KLCC with an extended version on KLCC.org.
@2022, KLCC.
