Richard Brautigan was a poet and author from Tacoma, Washington. He moved to San Francisco at some time in the 1950s. His first collections did not receive much recognition, but with the publication of the novel Trout Fishing in America (1967), Brautigan gained a cult following.
Brautigan published many collections of poetry, including Please Plant This Book (1968), Loading Mercy with a Pitchfork (1975), and June 30th, June 30th (1978). His many novels include A Confederate General from Big Sur (1964), In Watermelon Sugar (1967), and The Tokyo-Montana Express (1980). His last novel, An Unfortunate Woman, was discovered recently and published posthumously in 2000.
Information from Poets.org.