“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness.” (1)
I’ll be honest…I forget exactly when I discovered Howl by Allen Ginsberg. I want to say it was in high school, but I don’t remember if I found it in the school’s library, or if I went to the local library and found it there. Either way, I read Howl, and was blown away. At the time, I didn’t understand most of what was being said in the poem. Mostly, I loved the rhythm of it, and the fact that there were cuss words in the poem that made me feel like a rebel for reading it, but eventually as I learned about the Beat Generation, and about Allen Ginsberg specifically, much of it started to make more sense.
Allen Ginsberg is a big reason why I looked into Naropa University, where I earned my Master’s degree in Writing. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about going there; it’s a Buddhist inspired university, focusing on mindfulness and expanding consciousness, as well as activism, emphasizing contemplative learning — but I wasn’t sure the style of learning would be beneficial to me, or how this would impact me since I’m a follower of Jesus. Basically, I was quite ambivalent.
I ultimately prayed about it and received an answer that I should go, for even Jesus’ disciples walked in places with non-believers, and why should I be any different? Some of the best ways we grow in our faith is by being challenged in circumstances outside of our comfort zone. A chance to challenge what I believe about myself as a writer and believer. A chance to grow in my identity.
While “Howl” addresses topics some people might find offensive (and actually they did, so much so that Allen Ginsberg was put on trial for this poem), the poem is ultimately a reflection of how disoriented an entire generation felt, grappling with identity and questioning everything they’d been led to believe.
When we’re faced with a paradigm shift, it’s difficult to process. There’s a level a grief that exists between who were were before the shift, and who we might become if we keep moving through it, and eventually beyond it.
I think in some ways this is what Joshua Linestone is dealing with in Otherside: The Serenity. He experiences a profound shift in his life, one that he feels responsible for, and he isn’t sure how to move forward through it.
Josh is the lead guitarist for White Clover, and he’s Alanis’ boyfriend. I talked about Alanis more in my previous blog post. Josh and Alanis have much in common, having grown up together, and they’re very compatible. One place where they identify with each other is that their home lives are similar, though with Josh, his relationship with his dad is much more amicable.
Like Alanis, Josh dreams of the band making it big and of getting out of Sable. If I had to pick his most defining feature, I would say it’s his desire to leave with Alanis. More importantly though, he is sweet, he loves Alanis, and they’re kind of silly together.
He takes care of her. I think that he’s probably like a lot of 16 year old boys in that his first love is a BIG DEAL and he’s quite protective of her, which is probably obnoxious at times. You get to see the effects of that in their relationship, and it’s really hard.
The challenge for Josh comes when things don’t go the way he had envisioned and planned, and he has to adjust to a world that has completely shifted. In this first book, the storyline between Josh and Alanis is very interwoven. If I had to pick another main character in this book after Alanis, it would probably be Josh. We get a lot of the story from his perspective.
Next week, I’ll tell you about Alanis’ best friend — Aimee Jonson, also a guitarist of White Clover! And I’ll talk about one of my favorite authors — Michaeal Ondaatje.
Otherside: The Serenity is currently available on both Amazon and online at Barnes and Noble. You can get the book in both Kindle and Paperback versions. If you have read the book, and would like to review it, you can do so on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble.
(1) “Howl,” Allen Ginsberg, 1956
H.J VandeRiet 
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