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Carolyn Cassady
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Biographical Information
Carolyn Cassady was born Carolyn Robinson in Lansing, Michigan.
The family moved to Nashville, Tennessee when Carolyn was eight years old. It was here in Nashville that Carolyn began
to develop interest in theater and fine arts. It was her interest in these areas that brought her to Denver, Colorado to
get her MA Degree at the University of Denver. In March 1947, Carolyn met Neal Cassady, Jack Kerouac, and Allen
Ginsberg. Jack, Neal, and Carolyn would often go to Denver's night clubs and bars, it was during this time that Neal
and Carolyn began their love affair. Neal was still married to his first wife, LuAnne Henderson. Carolyn decided
to part ways with Neal after she found LuAnne, Neal, and Allen in bed together. She then decided to move to San Francisco.
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Five weeks after leaving Denver,
Neal came to San Francisco and they continued their romance. The day after Neal
had his marriage with LuAnne annulled, he married Carolyn. December 1948, Neal
left Carolyn in San Francisco to drive across the country to pick up Jack Kerouac, which is immortalized in Jack’s novel,
On The Road. Neal returned from this trip and took more responsibility in their marriage. In 1952, Jack Kerouac,
moved in with the couple while he wrote On The Road. With encouragement from Neal, Jack and Carolyn had a love
affair until 1960. In 1963, after Neal's prison sentence, Carolyn divorced him. She was hoping to relieve some
of his stress of providing for a family. This devasted Neal, in five years he was dead from excessive drug use.
Carolyn began writing her book, Off The Road, in the seventies and was published in 1990. In Off the Road,
Carolyn describes her life with Neal during the beat generation.
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Off The Road (Excerpt)
The old pattern thus broken, the climate of the household warmed, and there began, for me, a new life, or
at least a new perspective on the old life. When Jack wasn't at work or busy writing, he'd now sit and talk to me, telling
me of his childhood in Lowell, Massachusetts and of his mother's tenacity in working at the shoe factory; or he would voice
his regrets at his sister Caroline's intolerance of him. Jack had a loyal affection for her, and felt it was an odd
coincidence our names were so similar. She was married with a son and felt Jack should get a job, support their mother
and stop wasting his time playing around with writing.
Here with us, Jack was trying to finish On The Road. I had only
read random passages of the manuscript; I was too close to the pain of the events he described, and the more Neal chortled
over it, the more fearful I became that I'd feel a necessity to start something again.
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