Richard Engberg

The Flaxen Youth Richard Engberg

A historical novel about a college student and poet, searching for answers in the mid-sixties turmoil, questioning the war, facing the draft; it remains doubtful how he will deal with the crisis. It is the story of one Sam Hanson's race against destiny. The title refers also to President Kennedy (and his college sweetheart Mary Meyer), as the embodiments of a youthful age of optimism, and free love. With theirs, and Black leaders murders comes a realization of danger and corruption within the Establishment-those provoking the Vietnam War, and increasingly spying on Americans. As yet there are similarities between the present era, and then. The novel sheds light upon some pitfalls of conscription, and the unseen risk to campus poets, among others, if "the draft" process would again attempt to raise its ugly head. Youth refers in the plural form to an entire generation, which is unfairly put to task to do dirty deeds for war masters-and of surging numbers of Youth who perceive the government lies, and rebel. The Vietnam veterans and casualties, AWOLS, drop-outs, draft resisters and poets-all at some point part of the 60's Youth movement that-short of being misled-have desires, are largely educated, and seek an ethical meaningful world.