Page 59 - Sonoma County Gazette 12-2019

By Diane McCurdy
By Diane McCurdy
although it can contain elements of both of those genres. It is narrower and more introspective usually with a very definite personal theme. In this case, the motif in the memoir Hippie Chick by author Ilene English is most plausibly her journey into self, finding her worth and finding her place in the universe. Now a psychotherapist living on the Sonoma coast with practices in Sebastopol and Petaluma, she was born, the youngest of six, into a Jewish family in New Jersey. Her mother was always very ill and her father was distant.
Against this background, the author came of age.
She was fortunate that her sister had married well and she was able
to subsidize her until she was able
to be independent. Thus begins the story of exploration. Her first sexual experience was followed by a whole list of boyfriends. She seemed to choose men who undermined her self- esteem.
The Farm a hippie community with
a charismatic leader. For a while,
she had a fairly positive relationship
with a jazz musician but his cheating
precipitated her running away to
Hawaii. On her return, she met her
future husband eventually ending up
in Eugene, Oregon. While her husband
studies for his Ph.D., she begs for a
child. Her husband relents but it is
obvious the relationship is doomed.
They separate and at this point, she
begins her recovery most likely because she had the child that she had longed for and as a fiercely devoted mother she wanted to be a better person for her daughter. It is a long circuitous journey but she proves her resilience. She writes with exceptional candor. Drug experiences and abortions are not skipped over. Ms. English is now in a healthy but non-traditional relationship, in her position as a therapist she is especially qualified to help others who have had similar issues as hers. Her writing is intimate in that it feels as if you are sitting down with her having a cup of coffee.
It is amazing how memoir writers can remember so many details of their lives. Do they keep journals? Do they use their imagination to embellish and enhance certain key events? I tried to envision my own memoir but I couldn’t even get the chronology straight. Then it made me anxious and depressed to recall the people and pets who have passed on. I decided to stay in the Zen Eternal Now. However, I did enjoy Ilene English’s recounting of
her memories. I’ll stay with other people’s reminiscences which, in the case of Hippie Chick, are thoroughly engrossing.
A memoir is different from an autobiography or a biography
After her mother died and when she finished high school her older sister, Carole, whom she idolized sent her a one-way ticket to San Francisco. It was the ‘60s, sex drugs, and rock and roll. The ’60s represent one of the most tumultuous periods of upheaval and change in the history of our country: Vietnam, the assassinations of Kennedy and M.L. King, the Berlin Wall, the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the first heart transplant, mini-skirts, the Beatles
She became involved with
HIGHLIGHTS at our Libraries sonomalibrary.org
Distinguished Speaker Series: National Book Award and New
Ibram X. Kendi is the National Book Award-winning author of Stamped From The Beginning: A Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America and How to Be an Antiracist. His relentless and passionate research calls into question the notion of a post-racial society and opens readers’ and audiences’ eyes to the reality of racism in America today. Kendi’s lectures are sharp, informative, and hopeful, serving as a strong platform for any institution’s discussions on racial discrimination.
**There will be a book seller available before the event-
please arrive early if you would like to purchase a book to be signed by the author after the event**
York Times-bestselling Author Ibram X. Kendi
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