Exploring the Jim Morrison Era

Like every other chronicler of the ‘60s, Goldstein mentioned not one word about the disillusionment of that segment of the “older generation” which didn’t automatically disapprove of change or turn thumbs-down on behavior of “the kids.” There were many of us--already in our mid-40s--who hoped that just maybe the “younger generation” had found some answers that had eluded us; and in our way we were just as revved up--without ever resorting to acid or psychedelics--as students at Berkeley or attendees at a Doors concert.

Soon, though, we realized that much of the “rebellion” was just the well-known facade, merely lip service, chaos-for-the-sake-of-chaos, and that our so-called ultra-liberal kids were only doing what we had done back in the ‘30s . . . minus headlines.

And the ironic epilogue is that for all their “excess and self-indulgence” during the Jim Morrison era, once the sound and fury died down, so many of those ultra-liberal kids turned out far more staid/conservative/reactionary than we had ever been or ever will be.

DAVID R. MOSS

Los Angeles