I took some time off work the last few days, and being a curious person, I used it to read your book, "Nirvana Blues."
I read it in one sitting; it's captivating, very well written, exciting, with subtle wit, and perfectly reflects the spirit of the times.
It also resonated with me personally, as there are several points of connection to my own life: The spirit of the 70s left its mark on me and my family, for better or for worse. The ideals described shaped us equally (and still do), as did the confrontation with difficult realities. The music you quote reflects the feeling of life back then and was a daily presence, and much more.
The book made me think, but above all, it made me remember, including the power of youth, which we should try to preserve, especially in spirit.
Ram Dass was one of the most influential spiritual teachers in the West since the late ‘60’s, sharing his homegrown wisdom based on traditional Eastern philosophy. I had the good fortune to have a couple of hour-long video chats with him as I was writing my novel Nirvana Blues. The insights and knowledge were most valuable in helping make the story authentic. His journey from a Harvard University professor (known as Richard Alpert) to a yogi was documented in the book Be Here Now and inspired many people to look in the same direction. One person was Steve Jobs, who after reading the book as a teenager, went to India in search of Ram Dass’s teacher. This true story was the inspiration for my novel.
Refugees from all around Europe including a group of misfit artists found a safe haven in neutral Switzerland one hundred years ago while World War One raged. A mix of painters, poets, sculptors and performers banded together and founded the avant-garde art movement known as Dada.
It was a dark and stormy night two hundred years ago this June when Frankenstein was first animated in a Swiss chateau by the 18 year old Mary Shelly. She created the legendary monster after a challenge by Lord Byron who had invited a group of young British literary types to spend the summer on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Sometimes it takes a death to remind you the value of life. I got several messages yesterday to tell me the CEO I used to work for had taken his life at 59 years old. The last time I had seen him was in a coffee shop where we had chatted about the changing neighborhood and the noise from the upcoming techno festival that day we were both trying to escape.
