Here’s what Ray Clark Dickson says about Stories from Berkeley:
“…believe me, Nathan, every Berkeley grad or anyone there during this dramatic era should have this book (for themselves and friends). This must be one of the most important bio/vita books inspired by the Berkeley experience, ever. I can’t wait to finish this minor masterpiece and give you my praise for your blog.” 11/23/2007
Ray Clark Dickson’s work has been published in the Saturday Evening Post,The Wormwood Review, and the Beloit Poetry Journal. In 2001, his work was included in a Beloit anthology that also featured works by Adrienne Rich, Charles Bukowski and William Carlos Williams.
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Review by Donna McCrohan Rosenthal, East Sierra Branch of the California Writers Club, April, 2007,
Nathan Spooner speaks at the Ridge Writers meeting tonight…he visited several years ago, read from his manuscript and asked for critiques.
Spooner [earned his] degree from the University of California at Berkeley, studied in graduate school at San Francisco State College, spent several years as a street musician in the Bay Area and a decade in Alaska. He assiduously kept notes all the while.
They blossomed into “Stories from Berkeley,” an observant memoir of easygoing campus life in the nascent ‘60s, suddenly disrupted by the student protest over free speech and civil rights that had such an impact on the entire nation.
Spooner writes about love, hippies and the Beatles performing in Candlestick Park…and his efforts to form a band with two other philosophy students and a former Dallas Cowboys linebacker. He recalls his friendship and adventures with famed Rolling Stone photographer Annie Leibovitz.
Ridge Writers can hardly take credit for Spooner’s finished product. In fairness, it sparkled when we first heard the excerpts. On the other hand, it absolutely shimmers now. His Stories from Berkeley evocatively, lyrically and triumphantly capture the pervasive tribal spirit of an era that polarized a nation. [The book describes] “a paradigm shift, a change in assumptions, concepts and values” - one that grandparents reminisce about today with occasionally naughty grins on their faces and frequently wistful expressions on their lips.
–Central Coast Book Fair, 2007.
These stories chronicle a part of California history that very likely will never be repeated. From the streets of Berkeley to the local outlook and beyond, these narratives will delight the reader.
Titles by Nathan Spooner: "Stories From Berkeley," Miscellaneous Love Poems"
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Anonymous
This book of stories written during the '60s and '70s in Berkeley and the bay area reflect a point of view that tends to be apolitical, non judgemental and surprisingly refresing. It indirectly shows how Berkeley supports a variety of non threatening life styles. These narratives hint at the acceptance of a way of living that minimalizes the need for high level comsumption of material things.