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Tapes from California: Teenage Road Tripping, 1976
In February 1976, two friends set out on a six-month hostelling, and hitchhiking road adventure beginning in Canada's West Coast, and continuing down the Pacific Coast of the United States. While living at the YWCA in Vancouver, Ontario teens Jill and Jan found the short-term employment as chambermaids, enabling them to travel south of the border through Washington and Oregon, to California, where they spent several months before returning home across Western Canada.
Derived from journals faithfully depicting the girls’ daily experiences and encounters between February and August 1976, brought to life is an enriched narrative characterized by an assorted cast including hippies, outlaws, New Age visionaries, sages, witches, mystics, medicine men, Vietnam Vets, Lonely hearts, and more.
Set against the matchless beauty of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, California’s majestic coastline, its exotic desert landscape and the diversity of its three major cities, in the spirit of Jacks Kerouac’s On the Road, Tapes from California: Teenage Road Tripping, 1976 offers a personal and refreshing portrait that treads a delicate path between vulnerability and courage experienced during the unfettered, less restrictive 1970s era.
“Journeys have many shapes and forms in this life. The one that Jill Nelson takes us on in Tapes From California is poetic, spiritual, intense and most importantly of all, real. Engaging from word one, Tapes is a coming-of-age tale that is like a sweet song you heard in your childhood that wrapped itself around your brain and heart and never ever let go.” – Heather Drain, film write, mondoheather.com
“Jill C. Nelson has crafted an evocative and poignant written journey through the past that is equal parts touching, witty, and finally, extremely haunting. Tapes From California: Teenage Tripping, 1976 is an extraordinary book that takes us back to a more adventurous and liberated time” – Jeremy Richey, Art Decades Magazine
Derived from journals faithfully depicting the girls’ daily experiences and encounters between February and August 1976, brought to life is an enriched narrative characterized by an assorted cast including hippies, outlaws, New Age visionaries, sages, witches, mystics, medicine men, Vietnam Vets, Lonely hearts, and more.
Set against the matchless beauty of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, California’s majestic coastline, its exotic desert landscape and the diversity of its three major cities, in the spirit of Jacks Kerouac’s On the Road, Tapes from California: Teenage Road Tripping, 1976 offers a personal and refreshing portrait that treads a delicate path between vulnerability and courage experienced during the unfettered, less restrictive 1970s era.
“Journeys have many shapes and forms in this life. The one that Jill Nelson takes us on in Tapes From California is poetic, spiritual, intense and most importantly of all, real. Engaging from word one, Tapes is a coming-of-age tale that is like a sweet song you heard in your childhood that wrapped itself around your brain and heart and never ever let go.” – Heather Drain, film write, mondoheather.com
“Jill C. Nelson has crafted an evocative and poignant written journey through the past that is equal parts touching, witty, and finally, extremely haunting. Tapes From California: Teenage Tripping, 1976 is an extraordinary book that takes us back to a more adventurous and liberated time” – Jeremy Richey, Art Decades Magazine
526 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2017
5 people want to read
About the author
Jill C. Nelson
6 books15 followersI am a 64-year-old wife, mother, Hearing Instrument Specialist, and Canadian co-author (with Jennifer Sugar) of the first and definitive biography about the late adult film legend, pop culture icon, John Curtis Holmes. John Holmes: A Life Measured in Inches, presented in oral history format, was published in August 2008 by BearManor Media. The book contains three photos sections (including rare nudes), a 21 page filmography, 114 feature film reviews, and 86 loops synopses. The second and expanded edition of our book was released on October 2011 and is also available in kindle and audio formats.
My second book, "Golden Goddesses: 25 Legendary Women of Classic Erotic Cinema, 1968-1985," was released on October 31, 2012 and published by BearManor Media. Compiled from my own interviews with each personality featured, "Goddesses" profiles some of the most prominent and popular female personalities of the golden era who worked during a time when sexually-oriented films was still illegal. The book contains over 300 photos, film highlights and a special "Honorable Mentions" section with short synopses on 15 additional women associated with the classic era of adult films. I am pleased to report that my former collaborator, Jennifer Sugar, wrote the foreword for "Goddesses."
My third book, a memoir, "Tapes from California: Teenage Road Tripping, 1976," detailing a 6-month hitchhiking/youth hostelling road trip across the West Coast of Canada, Washington, Oregon and California, made with a friend, will be released fall 2017.
My second book, "Golden Goddesses: 25 Legendary Women of Classic Erotic Cinema, 1968-1985," was released on October 31, 2012 and published by BearManor Media. Compiled from my own interviews with each personality featured, "Goddesses" profiles some of the most prominent and popular female personalities of the golden era who worked during a time when sexually-oriented films was still illegal. The book contains over 300 photos, film highlights and a special "Honorable Mentions" section with short synopses on 15 additional women associated with the classic era of adult films. I am pleased to report that my former collaborator, Jennifer Sugar, wrote the foreword for "Goddesses."
My third book, a memoir, "Tapes from California: Teenage Road Tripping, 1976," detailing a 6-month hitchhiking/youth hostelling road trip across the West Coast of Canada, Washington, Oregon and California, made with a friend, will be released fall 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 14, 2017
Having been friendly with the author for a number of years, I was fortunate to witness the conception and formation of “Tapes From California: Teenage Road Tripping, 1976” via social media. As her previous books will demonstrate, Jill Nelson is a writer who refuses to release anything less than her very best work - a tradition which continues with “Tapes.”
“Tapes From California” is a biographical account of Nelson’s six-month roundabout journey through Western Canada and Pacific Coast of the United States along with her close friend, Jan. Drawing upon her own personal journals, Nelson documents the pair’s adventures in numerous landmark cities, including California hotbeds Los Angeles, San Diego, Hollywood and San Francisco. Along the way, Nelson and her companion form an abundance of friendships, connect with extended family and experience glimmers of romance.
An undertone of danger is always present within the pages of “Tapes.” Only seven years removed from the infamous Manson Family murders, several mentions of the brutal slayings indicates that the potential risk factor involved in their excursion is never completely lost in the minds of Jan and Nelson (who also describes a brush with members of the “Moonies” cult-like religious movement). The danger element is perhaps escalated when reading about two teenagers largely relying on their thumbs (i.e., hitchhiking) for travel without the aid of cell phones or other millennial advantages.
Adding context to the story are photographs, sketches and souvenirs from the time period. Additionally, mentions of top musical artists of the time - including The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, The Rolling Stones and, most prominently, folk singer Phil Ochs (who, coincidentally, took his own life during the “Tapes” timeframe) - provide something of a soundtrack to Nelson and Jan’s expedition.
Overall, “Tapes From California” is a tale of friendship, youthful independence, inner conflict and growth.
“Tapes From California” is a biographical account of Nelson’s six-month roundabout journey through Western Canada and Pacific Coast of the United States along with her close friend, Jan. Drawing upon her own personal journals, Nelson documents the pair’s adventures in numerous landmark cities, including California hotbeds Los Angeles, San Diego, Hollywood and San Francisco. Along the way, Nelson and her companion form an abundance of friendships, connect with extended family and experience glimmers of romance.
An undertone of danger is always present within the pages of “Tapes.” Only seven years removed from the infamous Manson Family murders, several mentions of the brutal slayings indicates that the potential risk factor involved in their excursion is never completely lost in the minds of Jan and Nelson (who also describes a brush with members of the “Moonies” cult-like religious movement). The danger element is perhaps escalated when reading about two teenagers largely relying on their thumbs (i.e., hitchhiking) for travel without the aid of cell phones or other millennial advantages.
Adding context to the story are photographs, sketches and souvenirs from the time period. Additionally, mentions of top musical artists of the time - including The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, The Rolling Stones and, most prominently, folk singer Phil Ochs (who, coincidentally, took his own life during the “Tapes” timeframe) - provide something of a soundtrack to Nelson and Jan’s expedition.
Overall, “Tapes From California” is a tale of friendship, youthful independence, inner conflict and growth.
December 9, 2017
First off , I want to thank author Jill C. Nelson for offering her book for me to review. Being of a similar age I really enjoyed her journey and it brought back a lot of memories from the 70's. The book made me envious of the courage Jill and her friend Jan displayed while taking on this adventure. The characters, resting spots, means of transportation were very well documented. Would definitely consider visiting some of the places she stopped at. I really enjoyed the afterward, that gave a brief update on Jill, Jan , and some of the people they came across.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews