Interesting blend of elements of the 3 occupation actions in August 1977, November 1977, and summer of 1978.
The first occupation, over “Hiroshima Day” weekend in August ‘77, actually involved minimal prep time. For me (who turned out to be the very first person arrested, on the Monday following the long weekend occupation) there was less than a week’s involvement, having attended a nonviolence training only days before in Eugene. There was no TDA (ADA) in Eugene at the time; only in Portland. (Eugene TDA got started by me, Tom Lynch and Michael Caldwell upon our release and return to Eugene.)
The fairgrounds scenario(s) occurred, if memory serves, after the subsequent actions in 11/77 and 8/78. (Authorities learned during the first “Trojan 96” — not 80— arrests, and as Lou says to Jax, bussing the arrestees around 3 different counties and 4 jails trying to find space to hold us … that trying to use regular jails for those kinds of numbers was absurd.)
I had to lapse on reading the middle of your excellent and engaging tale due to vision challenges stemming from a brain accident, but have jumped back in on these recent chapters due to personal interest! Am very pleased that you chose these events and settings as the anchors for your story; an era deserving of some kind of enshrinement.
I have loved the inclusion of so many hallowed hippie/Eugene institutions. It was some years after the TDA era that antinukers settled into the Growers Market building; first TDA office was diagonal to WOW Hall on W 8th, next door to the 2nd-hand clothing store named Boogie Blues. The original NV trainers in Eugene for the hastily thrown-together prep before the first occupation were members of the group that had successfully opposed siting a nuke just west of Eugene: ECO, as I recall, which stood for Eugene ____ ____?
All in all, a fabulous synthesis of what were very heady times indeed (your tag line referencing — I forget now— something like “love, sex and nuclear power— and oh yeah, ___” {sorry!} — anyway, it’s catchy and right on!)
I enjoy your remembrances of days gone by. Sorry for the sensory issue and cause. Very glad that you are around. Also, you are on my short list to receive a printed pre-publication at such time as they manifest. It might be best that you do not continue reading until you can go beginning-to-end in the usual fashion. (Assuming that you prefer stories that make sense.) FYI, I ran my complete draft through a writers' AI tool. Of the thousands of novels in its database, it reported that the narrative arc of Electric Fantasy Land most closely follows (can I get a drum roll?) A Tale of Two Cities. Perhaps with a lower headless count.
I am excited to hear I am on your Short list! And as every decent writer should, you will be receiving some deserved monetary patronage from me, because my plan is to grace the shelves of my book-loving sisters and progeny with copies, once copies hit the stands. (I assume direct purchase from The Author will be the best route to take.) Have you thought ahead to giving any local readings, post-pub? (A certain massive wave indie store comes to mind.)
Interesting literary comparison by AI! You just helped me remember that mild incapacitation is always far preferable to decapitation.
Interesting blend of elements of the 3 occupation actions in August 1977, November 1977, and summer of 1978.
The first occupation, over “Hiroshima Day” weekend in August ‘77, actually involved minimal prep time. For me (who turned out to be the very first person arrested, on the Monday following the long weekend occupation) there was less than a week’s involvement, having attended a nonviolence training only days before in Eugene. There was no TDA (ADA) in Eugene at the time; only in Portland. (Eugene TDA got started by me, Tom Lynch and Michael Caldwell upon our release and return to Eugene.)
The fairgrounds scenario(s) occurred, if memory serves, after the subsequent actions in 11/77 and 8/78. (Authorities learned during the first “Trojan 96” — not 80— arrests, and as Lou says to Jax, bussing the arrestees around 3 different counties and 4 jails trying to find space to hold us … that trying to use regular jails for those kinds of numbers was absurd.)
I had to lapse on reading the middle of your excellent and engaging tale due to vision challenges stemming from a brain accident, but have jumped back in on these recent chapters due to personal interest! Am very pleased that you chose these events and settings as the anchors for your story; an era deserving of some kind of enshrinement.
I have loved the inclusion of so many hallowed hippie/Eugene institutions. It was some years after the TDA era that antinukers settled into the Growers Market building; first TDA office was diagonal to WOW Hall on W 8th, next door to the 2nd-hand clothing store named Boogie Blues. The original NV trainers in Eugene for the hastily thrown-together prep before the first occupation were members of the group that had successfully opposed siting a nuke just west of Eugene: ECO, as I recall, which stood for Eugene ____ ____?
All in all, a fabulous synthesis of what were very heady times indeed (your tag line referencing — I forget now— something like “love, sex and nuclear power— and oh yeah, ___” {sorry!} — anyway, it’s catchy and right on!)
I enjoy your remembrances of days gone by. Sorry for the sensory issue and cause. Very glad that you are around. Also, you are on my short list to receive a printed pre-publication at such time as they manifest. It might be best that you do not continue reading until you can go beginning-to-end in the usual fashion. (Assuming that you prefer stories that make sense.) FYI, I ran my complete draft through a writers' AI tool. Of the thousands of novels in its database, it reported that the narrative arc of Electric Fantasy Land most closely follows (can I get a drum roll?) A Tale of Two Cities. Perhaps with a lower headless count.
I am excited to hear I am on your Short list! And as every decent writer should, you will be receiving some deserved monetary patronage from me, because my plan is to grace the shelves of my book-loving sisters and progeny with copies, once copies hit the stands. (I assume direct purchase from The Author will be the best route to take.) Have you thought ahead to giving any local readings, post-pub? (A certain massive wave indie store comes to mind.)
Interesting literary comparison by AI! You just helped me remember that mild incapacitation is always far preferable to decapitation.