Ken Kesey was an American novelist, essayist, and countercultural figure best known for his novel 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'. He was born in 1935 in La Junta, Colorado and grew up in Oregon. Kesey wrote 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' in 1962, which was later adapted into a Broadway play and an Academy Award-winning film. The novel is set in a mental institution and explores themes of individuality, conformity, and rebellion. Kesey's other works include 'Sometimes a Great Notion' and 'Kesey's Garage Sale'. He died in 2001 at the age of 66.