Friends, lovers, and vagabond spirits of the world!
Here’s last week’s interview for the excellent novel, Hippies, on Eartheart Radio (Oregon Community Radio). Derek, Eartheart radio host and a good brother to all, has interviewed all manner of characters from Wavy Gravy and Squeaky Fromme to Bhagavan Das (Baba Ram Dass’s first guide in India, as chronicled in Be Here Now). Follow Derek’s weekly shows KSKQ or on his Eartheart YouTube channel.
For what it’s worth, I was paired for my segment with St. Catherine of Siena 🙂
Click HERE for Eartheart’s YouTube home
(Click covers below for Hippies or other books by Gary Gautier)
shakemyheadhollow 
Congratulations on your interview on Earthheart Radio. Your host is 12 years younger than you so he didn’t experience hippies per se. You and I are the same age, so we were 11 years old during the peak of the hippie times if we put that at 1969. When the host asked if you lived in hippie commune, I was curious to hear if your parents were hippies living in a commune. I guess not. There were a lot of communes near us, and I used to visit them in the early 70s. I wish you well with your book. Covid-19 is decimating what’s left of people who were hippies in the 1960s and 70s.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Timothy. My parents were generally conservative 60s-70s New Orleans people, but for every one like my grandma cursing at the hippies on the news there was at least one saying, “Let the kids alone, they’re not hurting anyone.” No commune-types, although I’m sure my dad spent a week from time to time in some shady “common house” type place in the French Quarter 🙂 Thanks for the positive thoughts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting interview! It’s good to hear other authors chatting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Chris!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is great news! I just put a copy of “Hillies” in my cart on Amazon = look forward to reading it! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I mean I put a copy of “Hippies” in my cart! 🙂 I was typing too fast.
Take Care Gary!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey Perry. Good to know that you were so excited about Hippies that you couldn’t slow down to correct your typos 🙂 . Although I recommend it widely, I don’t recommend it to every single friend, because it’s not for everybody. You though? You’re dead center of the target audience 🙂 If you make it through, please drop a brief and honest review on Amazon, even if it’s just a few words.
LikeLike
Hey Gary…I totally enjoyed your interview + learned much + liked hearing of your life in Mexico.
Of interest also was the take on how the punk movement + hippy movement were similar in it’s rejection of commercialism. Like you said of your time in Austin + in talking with the interviewer, the punk movement was somewhat a reinterpretation of the hippy movement. I also have had friends in the punk movement.
Have begun the book + am enjoying it + when I get through with the book I’ll definitely drop a review off at Amazon.
Take Care! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the kind words, Perry. Yes, the punk thing was interesting. To an old peace and love hippie flower child, they always seemed from a distance a little too belligerent for my temperament, but up close there was instant countercultural rapport and fast friendships.
LikeLike