Stories Done: Writings on the s and Its Discontents
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Gilmore, Mikal, PUBLISHER: Free Press, ong>Theong> s and s represent a rare moment in our cultural history -- music was exploring unprecedented territories, literature was undergoing a radical reinvention, politics polarized ong>theong> nation, and youth culture was at ong>theong> zenith of its influence. ong>Theong>re has never been, nor is ong>theong>re likely to be, anoong>theong>r generation that matches ong>theong> contributions of ong>theong> artists of that time period. In this poignant book, journalist Mikal Gilmore weaves a narrative of ong>theong> '60s and '70s as he examines ong>theong> lives of ong>theong> era's most important cultural icons. Keeping ong>theong> power of rock & roll at ong>theong> forefront, Gilmore gaong>theong>rs togeong>theong>r stories about major artists from every field -- George Harrison, Ken Kesey, Johnny Cash, Allen Ginsberg, to name just a few. Gilmore reveals ong>theong> truth about this idealized period in history, never shying away from ong>theong> ugly influences that brought many of rock's most exciting figures to ong>theong>ir knees. He examines how Jim Morrison's alcoholism led to ong>theong> star's death at ong>theong> age of twenty-seven, how Jerry Garcia's drug problems brought him to ong>theong> brink of death so many times that his bandmates did not believe ong>theong> news of his actual demise, how Pink Floyd struggled with ong>theong> guilt of kicking out founding member Syd Barrett because of his debilitating mental illness. As Gilmore examines ong>theong> dark side of ong>theong>se complicated figures, he paints a picture of ong>theong> environment that bred ong>theong>m, taking readers from ong>theong> rough streets of Liverpool (and its more comfortable suburbs) to ong>theong> hippie haven of Haight-Ashbury that hosted ong>theong> infamous Summer of Love. But what resulted from ong>theong>se lives and those times, Gilmore argues, was worth ong>theong> risk -- in fact, it may be inseparable from those hard costs. ong>Theong> lives of ong>theong>se dynamic and diverse figures are intertwined with Gilmore's exploration of ong>theong> social, political, and emotional characteristics that defined ong>theong> era. His insights and examinations combine to create a eulogy for a formative period of American history.