Discusses that he is the one writing the book, however his thought are no different than the thoughts of the youth of another generation; what you think at nineteen is universal across all generations, youth as a movement has “always been happening.” (Intro)
He wants to do something about racism, poverty, and war.
He discusses who they are – kids who have “hopes and fears… ups and downs.” They’re people in NYC who are “unhappy because of the war, and because of poverty and the hopelessness of politics, but also because we sometimes get put down by girls or boys… or feel lonely and alone and lost.”
He discusses how the book was written – basically, at random. It was written on napkins and cigarette packs and hitchhiking signs. It is all over the place, but it is sincere in its goals.
There are a lot of swears in this book. The author, a nineteen-year-old boy, has literally no filter.
He talks about high school versus college into 1966.
Walt Disney dies.
Wants to be a pope or at least an international sex symbol, if not both.
Many lonely moments in college.
Does crew.
BoSox
Divides sections into “Way Before,” “Not Long Before,” “Cast of Characters,” and “Armand Key.” This section is before shit hit the fan at Columbia. Then he discusses what happened when shit did hit the fan at Columbia.
New York City
Martin Luther King Jr. is dead by 1968
Not long before – “these are the best times of our lives”
The Blue Berets
Jim
The Letter
Grayson Kirk, Decorations, Director, Trustee, Member, Clubs, David B. Truman, Mark Rudd, Students for a Democratic Society, Students Opposing SDS, IDA, The Gym
Armband colors signified different things
Green = for amnesty for protesting students
Red = militant protesting students
Baby Blue = against protest, but ostensibly for avoidance of violence
White = faculty “keeping peace”
Black = mourning the passing of a cop-free, violence-free