The readings in Portable appear abstract and nontraditional. I liked reading the different styles and formats unique to each author. I found Bukowski the easiest to read, even though there were irregularities in grammar and sentence structure. I found it really interesting that Holmes kept a journal on his friend Kerouac. I've always been interested in biographical writing, so this was easy to read as well. I was somewhat confused by Brautigan's "surreal fantasy" writing style. What does he mean???
In the Hippie reading, I liked learning about aspects and beginnings of the popular rock bands that are not usually explicitly discussed. I was shocked when reading about Leary...associations with Harvard, involving his kids with smuggling drugs, etc. He had a lot of connections with musicians and writers during this era. The mention of "Sandoz" caught my eye. This was the only other time I remember seeing this name besides on the track list "Girl Named Sandoz" of one of my favorite cds.
There are a few questions I'm turning over as I read this material...
Difference between beat and hippie?
The meaning of the American flag image used in the counterculture? I first began thinking about this after watching Easy Rider, the movie I want to use images from for my iconography paper.
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