Gasp!

David Axelrod Does Not Equal Laura Axelrod

LOL. Someone in the political blogosphere thinks I'm related to David Axelrod... and of course, that's why I'm doing Project 1968.

(sarcasm) Because every single person with the last name of Smith is also related. (/sarcasm)

For the record, as far as I know I am not related to David Axelrod. We happen to have the same last name, but that's as far as it goes. I've never even met the man.

Believe me, I was related to him, I'd hit him up for money. He's probably making more than I am.

I love conspiracies as much as the next person...

But please people. Aim your tin-foil hats toward Roswell. You'll have better luck there.

(On a side note: It's been seven months since I was accused of being a "red-state blogger," so I guess it's about time for me to be labeled a "liberal blogger." Sheesh.)

UPDATE - 5 minutes later: Jethro has just informed me that there's a Jim Axelrod on CBS news. I'm not related to him either.

UPDATE - 15 minutes later: I've changed right-wing blogosphere to political blogosphere. Evidently the radio show host is a liberal and the person who yelled conspiracy is a wack-job... But we knew that already.

April 8, 1968: Top Story

From Project 1968:

Cities Keep A Fragile Peace

"Racial violence unleashed by the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has struck more than four-score American cities in a destructive orgy of staggering proportions. Since King's assassination in Memphis Thursday night, including the Palm Sunday national day of mourning proclaimed by President Johnson in honor of the fallen civil rights leader, at least 85 cities were visited by violence."

There are 19,900 federal troops and 30,109 National Guard on patrol throughout America. More than 2,000 are injured, 8,879 arrested and 29 people are dead. Chicago, Baltimore and Washington are the hardest hit.

(United Press International. Appeared in the Kingsport Times - Kingsport, Tennessee)

On the timing of MLK Jr.'s death

For those who are keeping up with Project 1968, I wanted to let you know that the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. happened in the evening, around 7 p.m. Janine and Amy wrote their entries in the afternoon, so they are unaware of what is in store for the country several hours later.

Like what actually happened, both characters will be wrapped up in the events surrounding Dr. King's death for weeks to come. Interviews, book discussions and other supporting documentation will be posted.

It's not just one day anniversary in their world.

The entries are set to go live at in the mid-afternoon today. Be sure to stop by.

Where was Scott Walters in 1968?

Scott Walters was kind enough to be interviewed for Project 1968.

By the way, I had no idea that the man has three college degrees - including a PhD in theater-related subjects. And if that's not enough, you can purchase a book he co-authored off of Amazon.

Gosh, how long have we all been conversing with him via blog... I had no idea.

Books and Interviews on 1968

Project 1968 is expanding once again. Now that the groundwork has been laid for the fictional aspect of the project, I am now beginning to post the documentary portion.

Part One of my interview with Roger Armbrust, who gives his thoughts about 1968. Part Two will be posted later today. This is the first of many interviews with a cross-section of the country. Subjects will not be limited to general feelings about 1968. These interviews with also feature specific topics pertinent both to the period as well as the current political and social climate.

Books on the '60s is another feature. Recently postings include Jessica Mitford's book, The Trial of Dr. Spock: The Reverend William Sloane Coffin, Jr., Michael Ferber, Mitchell Goodman, and Marcus Raskin.

What I call "A Sampler from Dr. Benjamin Spock" is in the Notes section. This feature will consist of raw notes from documents on the time period.

As always, Janine continues blogging on a daily basis. There are only 10 more days until the New Hampshire primary - the first contest in 1968. Lyndon Johnson is still in office. What will later become known as The Tet Offensive has already happened. They've tightened up the draft loopholes, which is now forcing students to take greater action. Many are ending up at the campaign headquarters.

Amy is still working through her fears about someone finding her "record." Her father, a well-known journalist in Chicago has a vicious sense of foreboding about the year. Amy belongs to the Core Committee, which is preparing for the National Conference. Held in secret, the Conference will determine what actions will be taken for the entire year - including the conventions.

More announcements and features shortly...

A Discussion of the Books from the Period

Project 1968 is still going strong, and it’s attracted the attention of some very interesting people.

One recent commenter asked if I was planning on publishing a book after this was done. My response? Yes, but the site stands on its own. It isn’t being used as a promotional tool for another project.

Judging by the ISPs, the Project has gained popularity with the college crowd.

With both storylines underway, there will be a few more additions to the site. As you know, the main blog is for the actual story. The back pages are for source notes, credits, etc. Starting this week, discussions of books will be introduced on the site. There will also be more pictures to go along with the stories.

Project 1968’s book discussion begins with Joyce Maynard’s book, “Looking Back: A Chronicle of Growing Old in the Sixties.”

I’ll be posting even more additions in the coming weeks. Feel free to stop by for a visit.

So far, the beginning: Reflections of Project 1968

While Janine and Amy contend with what will soon be known as the Tet Offensive, I thought it would be as good a time as any to reflect on a portion of the writing process thus far.

I always knew that I was an impatient writer. I would love to sit you down and tell you the whole story, from beginning to end. All the twists and turns and how everyone ends up. It's funny to do it this way. Not funny, ha ha. You know what I mean. Not only *how* they end up, but *who* they end up being will surprise you.

Because of this, writing the project became a spiritual practice. Rather than dealing with these people in one straight shot - 120 pages - I live with these people daily. In real life, people don't change because of plot points. Structure is only be seen in hindsight.

Which isn't to say that the story is structureless. It most definitely has a structure - plot points included. But the structure in a form like this has to be subtle.

Tet offficially begins the story. Much of what has already happened was groundwork. The play - in particular Janine's story - opened right at this point. But it seemed important to blog the prelude so people could latch onto the story. Plus, the Coalition for a Democratic Alternative ran a full page ad in the New York Times on January 14. I took it as a sign from God to begin blogging that day.

Project 1968: Update and Recap

It looks like the domain issues resolved themselves. So let's take a look at what happened this week:

Janine and Becca left Wisconsin to join the Eugene McCarthy for President campaign. After a long bus ride, they arrived in New Hampshire tired and scared. They found the McCarthy for President headquarters in Concord. Mrs. Stoutmiller, a nice older New Hampshirite offered to put them up for the duration of the New Hampshire primary. They also met Craig, a volunteer from Rutgers.

Amy is just beginning to start writing. Things are a jumbled mess right now. Her relationship with Coleman is volatile, and she swears that she's taking a break from him. There's plenty of discussion in the Movement about what constitutes disruption, resistance and violence. Where's the line? She's also trying to sort out what it means to be a woman in the Movement. If only she was a dude...

Coming up: Becca likes what she sees in Craig. Amy goes to the big student symposium in Evanston, which leaves her with a moral dilemna. Janine anxiously awaits the possibility of meeting Senator McCarthy.

By the way, the role of Mrs. Stoutmiller will be played by my grandmother, who passed away last year.

Have no clue what any of this means? Visit Project 1968 for the answers.

A momentary lapse

I'm straightening out the rest of the domain issues for Project 1968. For tonight, you can pull it up here. Everything will be back to normal by tomorrow.

A Project 1968 FAQ

1) Is it updated daily?
Twice daily, at least. Janine, the McCarthy campaign worker is steadfast in keeping her daily journal. She is very excited to share her experiences. Amy is just about ready to get over her paranoia. Give her a week or so, and she’ll be a pro.

2) What is a Blog Docu-Novel anyway?
A Blog Docu-Novel is a novel with footnotes. It is blogged in bite-sized chunks for a net audience.

3) What are your sources?
The Eisenhower Commission reports from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library, White House Confidential files, FBI & CIA files, Chicago 7/8 Trial documents, and out of print books. NY Times and other newspapers from around the country help fill out the daily details of events.

4) Are you proud of the fact that you haven’t voted in three presidential elections?
No, and I don’t encourage such behavior. It has provided the genesis for this project.

5) Can I tell my friends about your Blog Docu-Novel?
Yes, send them to www.project1968.com.

6) What about the comments?
Comments are on the pages, where you can find commentary and a slew of other information.