Neal Cassady and Justin Brierly met while Cassady was living with Brierly’s uncle in 1941. Justin Brierly, a prominent educator and patron of the arts, took an interest in the bright fifteen-year-old Cassady, and Brierly would help to admit him to high school and to find employment. Nonetheless, Cassady continued his criminal activity, and was arrested in June of 1944 for receipt of stolen property. Below, on the fourth year of their friendship, Cassady writes Brierly from Colorado State Reformatory, summarizing the positive and negative effects of their relationship upon him.
October 1944
Colorado State Reformatory
Buena Vista, Colo.
Dear Justin,
It was 3 years ago this month that I first became aware of the “old professor” (as Bob, Gus, and I used to call you). If you’ll recall I had lived at John’s about a week when I met you in Oct. 1941. To more or less mark the starting of our 4th year of friendship, I shall devote this letter to analyzing the influence you have had on my mind, character, temperament & in general my attitude & my reaction to life.
To do this I must assume an objective viewpoint to a matter that, by nature, is necessarily subjective, quite difficult however, to enable me to put on 1 sheet of paper a worthy statement of what I think I’ve gained & lost by association with you. I must speak dogmatically, which, of course, means a certain degree of exaggeration & distortion of the true facts, but remember each statement, positive though it may sound, is the result of much thought, i.e. a psychoanalysis in thought & deeds of the last 3 years, which differ from the years before that. By noting this difference, modifying it & by a process of elimination, I find not only the amount, but also the degree, of influence you’ve had on me.
For a better understanding I’ve created 3 titles under which I’ll enumerate attributes I’ve either gained or developed under you. Also if I’ve enough room I shall speak of the negative points of our relationship. To begin:
1) Mind: I believe I’ve gained only miscellaneous facts although I’ve developed a good deal in numerous subjects, I also credit you with my introduction to psychology, but my most important knowledge has derived from philosophy, a study to which you have been indifferent, except perhaps indirectly, in fact, I feel you have subtly endeavored to dispersuade me from indulging in it, fearing I’ll become overbalanced, already I have a tendency to be intolerant of society, at least its general opinions, which to you, because of your occupations, is quite important.
2) Character: Truly the most necessary of all you’ve given me. I could easily write an essay on the importance of sense & character, consequently you can see how aware I am of it & how much & how carefully one should cultivate character.
3) Temperament: My jaunty manner and ready wit, which is so apparent in my conversation can be largely checked back to you, however, any evenness in my outlook must be attributed to philosophy, not to any silly, feminine, innocent optimist.
Neal L. Cassady