Keith Kumasen Abbott

“When I watch myself, I am standing in front of books and pretending I am not going to steal them.”

Keith Kumasen Abbott  taught at Naropa University in Colorado as an Associate Professor Writing & Poetics, Visual Arts. He studied philosophy at the University of Washington, and received his BA at San Francisco State followed by his MA at Western Washington State University.  Several of Keith’s works of fiction as well as his memoir of Richard Brautigan were translated and published in Europe. His novella Racer, translated by Günter Ohnemus and first published in Germany by MaroVerlag and later by dtv, was short listed for the Berlinale Film Conference 2007. Keith was an ordained lay monk in the Soto Zen lineage. A complete list of Keith’s written works as well as recent publications such as Mordecai of Monterey (2024) may be found in this website. His five part essay on Ken Kesey’s 1994 Naropa summer workshop is available, as are his academic papers and essays, on Substack.

The Mystery of the Missing Archival Materials

Where are Keith’s missing archival materials?

After his death in Longmont Colorado in 2019, some of Keith’s archives reached the University of Western Washington at Bellingham as was his intention and wish but, unfortunately, not all. The Abbott family is deeply pained by this and searching for the materials that were not received by the University. Please contact topersephoneabbott@gmail.com

Routine Apparitions, A fictional novel in blog form: Keith’s ghost is looking for his notebooks in Longmont Colorado with his pals from the Rhino Ritz Detective Agency – maybe they will strike gold.

Excerpt from a lost manuscript (audio version):

“If she hadn’t made that noise, I think I could have forgotten it. Maybe.”

“And now you can’t. You told your wife?” 

“No. No.”

“Maybe you ought to. She understands stuff like that. I mean, by now. She knows. She worked here. She knows the scene.”

List of missing manuscripts:

  • Whack Jobs (2007-2009) an autobio piece covering college years
  • HW2 (2009)
  • “Thelma and Louise Meet Jack Kerouac” (provisionary title) (1998)
  • Good Golly Miss Molly (1994)
  • Boy Scout Cookies (1994)
  • Percy Q (1977)
  • The Secondary Room (1971)
  • Mr Inbetween (1977)
  • False Courage (1981)
  • Arfy Darfy Love (1998)
  • The Second Time I saw Pete (1977)
  • At the Top of the Heap (1970)
  • Francis (1970)
    • Plays:
  • The Nugget (1982)
  • The Sob Machine
  • The Rhubarb (1971)
  • Reno 
  • Loyalty Oath
  • Babe Ruth
    • Screenplays
  • Spanish Castle
  • Good Golly Miss Molly