▁World ▁War . ▁He ▁returned ▁there ▁ann ually , ▁sp ending ▁sum mers ▁fish ing ▁in ▁Al aska ▁through ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁working ▁sal mon ▁boats ▁and ▁organ izing ▁can n ery ▁workers . ▁From ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁he ▁attended ▁Black ▁Mountain ▁College , ▁near ▁Ash ville , ▁N . C . ▁With ▁assistance ▁from ▁the ▁G . I . ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights , ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁California ▁School ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁From ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁he ▁co - owned ▁and ▁co - managed , ▁with ▁fellow ▁former ▁Black ▁Mountain ▁student , ▁artist ▁Leo ▁K rik or ian , ▁The ▁Place , ▁an ▁artists ' ▁and ▁writers ' ▁bar ▁and ▁gallery ▁in ▁North ▁Beach . ▁The ▁bar ▁featured ▁poetry ▁read ings ▁and ▁jazz , ▁and ▁hosted ▁the ▁debut ▁showing ▁of ▁artist ▁Jay ▁De Fe o ' s ▁work . ▁It ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁its ▁open ▁mi ke , ▁" B lab ber mouth ▁N ights ." ▁It ▁was ▁frequ ented ▁in ▁those ▁years ▁by ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Beat ▁Generation ▁including ▁Jack ▁Ker ou ac , ▁Lawrence ▁Fer ling h etti , ▁Richard ▁Bra ut igan , ▁Allen ▁G ins berg , ▁and ▁Jack ▁Sp ic er ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Renaissance . ▁ ▁Kn ute ▁taught ▁drawing ▁at ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Art ▁Institute ▁and ▁wrote ▁art ▁criticism ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁in