Kesey said that he quit writing because it was an hermetic life and as an extrovert, he resented being chained to a desk with only his own thoughts. He had made his reputation, he had enough money, and his ego didn't demand any more adulation. He was a likable and approachable guy, not a big egotist like many writers.

I live in Lorane on a paved road. In thirty years I have never seen the level of road-building and clearcutting that has been going on all this year in the Coast Range.