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« Family Non Sequiturs | Main | Obsessed with the Sixties—Part 2 »

February 13, 2007

Comments

Beautiful post, Danny. I, too, felt that I was born too late. As a teenager, I was endlessly fascinated by the 1960s -- politics & culture, I read about all of it. Edie Sedgwick has always bewitched me, too, and I am looking forward to seeing the movie. (I only wish Sienna Miller weren't playing Edie -- she annoys me.)

By the way, I had my first-ever trip to Los Angeles last week (loved it!) and spent a couple of hours of downtime last Wednesday afternoon reading in the cafe at the very Borders from which you posted this.

Hello, I lived through this time too, was 12 in the summer of love, and yes I liked the Monkees too! I also had a cousin who was sent to Viet Nam that I wrote to. By the time I was in h.s. in the early 70's, the counter culture had filtered down into the mainstream youth, and was commercialized. I wished I was just a little older too, as all these things you speak of were discussed in history and current events classes in school. I came of age during this time, and it had a big impact on me.

I keep thinking your posts can't possibly get any better, and then they do.

When I was in my late teens I was really into the Velvet Underground and that whole scene. The punks really stole a lot from them.

IN 1987, my ex-boyfriend went to the 20th anniversary of the Summer of Love, and he said it was so sad and lame, he could barely stand it. There really is no way to recapture the magic of a movement no matter how hard you try.

I'm glad the sixties happened, As a woman, I personally benefitted a lot from the products of that movement. My daughters today have no idea what the world was like for women before the sixties - thank god.

for me,the magic of the sixties began with that song...come on people now,Smile on your Brother right now...yes, I was of age to appreciate it I was in college in the village. I went to be-ins in Central Park, Thompkins Sq Park, and undoubtedly Washington Sq Park. I walked from the East Village to the West Side carrying a flower to give to Dr. Timothy Leary at his talk I was attending. I arrived just in time to get a seat on the floor in front of him. I handed him the flower in front of the entire room full of people only to have it droop completely after I handed it to him. LOL.2 kids(Were there names Groovy and Linda, i used to know them at one time, but they died that summer in the east village,foul play and it was over. Somewhere there existed a photo of me holding chocolate covered lsd blotter paper before I ingested it. Sometimes when I dance to the Who like their performance for 9/11 at msg, it brings me back the late sixties out to an open air festival outside london. I felt free and danced there too. Now with the war in Iraq, I don't feel free. The summer of love was gone really quickly. Then there was mostly escapism from what is going on or endless marching/protesting to end the war, or more radical friends. We used to go every Saturday at Times Square. I know I miss the charismatic anti-war activists...Abbie Hoffman whose throwing the dollar bills at the Stock Exchange floor is my all time favorite Hippie Endeavor. There will never be another Allen Ginsberg to galvanize people, but someone like him would be great.Perhaps someone could try to elevate the Pentagon once more maybe virtually this time..Some community event in cyberspace.
Your blog always gives one lots of great memories to ponder...Great to see Rudnick's face. So Young and innocent from when i last saw him in NYC. Yes, stories...not for public consumption.

Did you see the Sixty Minutes interview of Bob Dylan? Interesting to see his reaction to his own fame, how disconcerting and absurd it felt to be a "symbol" of a movement that he didn't see himself attached to.

I'm a big Neil Young fan and read the mammoth biography written about him called "Shakey." It was an amazing ride through the 60s, and I loved it for its insight into the creative process and the music business during that era. Amazing that Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Eric Clapton are still with us and still making music...

I went to a number of Grateful Dead shows during the eighties and nineties. This is my only personal experience with any of the last vestiges of the sixties.Ultimately, I enjoyed the experience, but I was often disturbed by the exclusionary feeling I got from the Deadheads, where there was sometimes a cliqueishness that could rival a highschool cafeteria. But most were retro-"hippies" and occasionally you would run into someone older, who knew what Haight-Ashbury was like before the CBS news story. This is a GREAT post! Mike Nesmith--great songwriter. And how great is it that childhood icons in those days were a make believe hippy band? I may have to pass on "Factory Girl" if they've offended my own personal icon--Dylan.

I can't help wondering what happened to that mother's son -- whether, like someone I interviewed for my '60s oral history said, he was one of those who "ended up wiring his parents' house." Some heavy trippers came back to live normal productive lives; others became psychotic. There was no way to tell in advance who would be which, and even if there had been, would anyone have paid attention?

Well, Danny, I was there. I was marginal to it all, which was just right. A little bit went a long way. I think I probably enjoyed it more from the almost-sidelines, that the toe I dipped in turned to gold, like Achilles' heel (if I may totally mix my myths up).

"Where do all the hippies meet?/ South Street, South Street" (in south Philadelphia). From the 1963 song "South Street" by the Orlons, which reached #3 on the Billboard charts. At that time it just meant hipsters, hip people.

Funny that you quote Herb Caen. Caen is the man who coined the word "beatnik," in his column of April 2, 1958.

And furthermore, I still love the Airplane but "I'm a Believer" (composed by Neil Diamond) is a truly great song.

And so ends another google session...

Danny,
Fouind your article again and again found it unbelievable. We corresponed a while back. I am Bob Rudnicks brother. Your dad was a tremendous to me and family when Bob died. Your dad and I met a few times in Chicago during those sad times. Please say hello to him. I have been inb touch with John Sinclair and Skip Williamson. The internet is an amazing tool and I keep finding info. on Bob. I'm starting to build a nice file on him. Take care.
Alan

hi you dont know me i was running a search on bob and found your site

i got clean and sober and have been without a drink or drug since april 19th 1985 i was 22 and am half an old man now

i was a mess and fresh from the scene / streets and went to a treatment center in chicago at northwestern
when i got there a filthy strung out hippie took me to the side and implored me to get to AA and stick with it he told me he had been through it many time and he could never get it to stick...he basically begged me not to go through what he had to...

i had a lot of immpedence to sobriety punk,,, nightclubs,,, no future,,, i dont care about you f you ....et al

but for years i thought of Bob ...i know he didnt make it but he saved me

if somebody reads this from his family or friends please know that aside from the admirable beat career i want to tell someone who knew him, thank you for my life

peace

Came upon your blog accidentally and found the Chicago references to be delightfully reminiscent of the Northside. Nobody from the old neighborhood will ever forget Shoppers World at Lincoln and Kimball.
All of your work was sensational stuff.

Hey! It’s a great post. I was a running a search on Bob Dylan and I find your site. The Dylan character, played by Hayden Christensen. Who fares much better here than in his wooden performance as the young Darth Vader in the recent Star Wars trilogy. I like his Darth Vader costume, he was looking awesome. http://www.mystarwarscostume.com/

Nice blog, Sir! I don't know how I stumbled on to it, but I can say that I totally relate to your wish to have been a little older during the sixties.

I had a brother and sister that were 11 and 9 years older than me. We grew up in Woodland Hills so just over the hill was Malibu and Hollywood, Sunset Strip, etc. I was born in 58 so I was only 9 or so during the summer of love. But, I got to experience it vicariously through my brother and sister. My sister was a notorious runaway that my mother says they were questioned about her possible relationship to the Manson family. Sis said no way, but my Mom was convinced (you know that generation).

My brother was far more into the strip. He was acquainted with Jim Morrison and disliked Jimi Hendrix. Why? All he ever did was hit on guys girlfriends! Haha...Seem brother used to bring the high school hotties with him and that was why these rock dudes would come around...awesome!

Anyways, I went through a genuine depression over moving and missing the 60 for years (in spring of 69 we moved to the shitty inland empire. It was like moving to Iowa or at least it seemed that way.)

I even packed my car and ran away to Frisco in 78. For some reason I thought the summer of love would be waiting for me. Was pretty disillusioned. Can believe I slept in my car by a pier warehouse. It's a wonder I lived.

Finally had to come to terms with the fact that I was so close yet so far to something that defined the generation and those that followed. We'll never see the likes of that again.

Aloha!

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