Brent,
Again, I'm enthusiastically in favor of a web site like the one your propose.
My novel, Bear Dance, lanquishes on the shelf ... no agents are interested
in it. A fictional account of my times at Black Bear, including the warts
and all. Whether the novel is poorly written, not interesting enough for
commercial "success" or otherwise flawed is beyond me at this point. (Maybe
writers are totally unable to judge their own writing anyway.)
My purpose was to create a realistic account of life in a commune, while
telling a story about real people, their hopes and dreams, their struggles
and aspirations without the rhetoric that we used back then. At the same
time, we were there for a purpose to recreate ourselves against a backdrop
of the war and civil rights and our own politics.
There must be many novels like this that may never see the light of the
printing press. I'll probably publish myself in the fall .... would welcome
a place to put up chapters and also interested in looking at other people's
fictional writing on the subject.
best, Don Monkerud
>Jeff Apfel,
>
>You have an interesting perspective and one that I've seen before: It is an
>insurmountable challenge to capture the sixties outside the Vietnam soldier
>framework without falling prey to cliches and idiosyncratic reminiscing -- a
>hollow nostalgia. That may explain the paucity of sixties' literature -- both
>critically and commercially successful fiction -- outside the Vietnam war
>experience.
>
>We just honored the 25th anniversary of the ending of the Vietnam War and the
>30th anniversary of the Kent State Massacre. With the passage of time has
>come perspective and maturity -- and maybe even market readiness. Writers
>should now be able to capture the adventure and meaning of the domestic
>sixties with more universally satisfying characters, stories and anecdotes,
>while entertaining and enlightening in the traditions of quality fiction.
>
>You may be aware that members of this list plan to create a Web site to serve
>as an anthology of sample chapters from their sixties-focused novels -- some
>finished, some underway. Those willing to take this leap must have faith that
>a new genre awaits its heroes.
>
>I am interested in yours and other's comments about this.
>
>Brent
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