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Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost
A strange and salacious memoir of life at the ultimate hippie college during the height of Reaganomics
Opening its doors in 1970, Hampshire College was once known as a land of eternal partying, where countercultures thrived and jocks were nowhere to be found. Self- proclaimed nerd Richard Rushfield knew this progressive Massachusetts campus was the place for him, offering a chance to shed his squeaky-clean California upbringing. He was part of the freshman class of 1986, hiding out from Reagan-era excess in a liberal haven where overachievement and preppy clothes were banned.
By turns hilarious, ironic, and steeped in history, "Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost" takes readers to a campus populated by Deadheads, club kids, poets, and insomniac filmmakers, at a time when America saw the rise of punk and grunge alongside neo-conservatism, earnest calls for political correctness, and Take Back the Night vigils. Shunned by all of the school's reigning subcultures, Rushfield joins the most hated clique on campus, the Supreme Dicks, navigates a dating scene where to express interest in anything is social suicide, and mostly avoids class where hippie professors blather on about post-structuralism. Culminating in a mad clash of slackers and yuppies, "Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost" captures a watershed moment for American youth in one hilarious and unforgettable trip.
Opening its doors in 1970, Hampshire College was once known as a land of eternal partying, where countercultures thrived and jocks were nowhere to be found. Self- proclaimed nerd Richard Rushfield knew this progressive Massachusetts campus was the place for him, offering a chance to shed his squeaky-clean California upbringing. He was part of the freshman class of 1986, hiding out from Reagan-era excess in a liberal haven where overachievement and preppy clothes were banned.
By turns hilarious, ironic, and steeped in history, "Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost" takes readers to a campus populated by Deadheads, club kids, poets, and insomniac filmmakers, at a time when America saw the rise of punk and grunge alongside neo-conservatism, earnest calls for political correctness, and Take Back the Night vigils. Shunned by all of the school's reigning subcultures, Rushfield joins the most hated clique on campus, the Supreme Dicks, navigates a dating scene where to express interest in anything is social suicide, and mostly avoids class where hippie professors blather on about post-structuralism. Culminating in a mad clash of slackers and yuppies, "Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost" captures a watershed moment for American youth in one hilarious and unforgettable trip.
304 pages, ebook
First published October 29, 2009
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September 21, 2014
A hilarious and un-PC look at a life in an extremely liberal college during the Reagan era. You'll have a few guffaws, and maybe even a disapproving glance at your book or tablet. The setting dominates the "story," but the ride was worth it.
Displaying 1 of 1 review