BORN ON THE 4th OF JULY

A question from one Myspace friend: "In the movie Born on the 4th of July they showed the guys down in Mexico - is this book based upon that?"

Unfortunately, about the only living record of this unique place in time that the general public (and future movie viewers) are aware of comes from Oliver Stone's movie, Born on the 4th of July (adapted from Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic's book by the same title). I've taken exception in interviews, as well as in my book, to a number of myths and negative stereotypes presented and perpetuated in the movie. It was one of the reasons for writing the book. For example, the demeaning portrayal of Mexican women in Stone's movie was that of whores and prostitutes! Vietnam and other vets were nothing more than drunken whoremongers! And this long ago utopia was moved from Mexico's heartland to the ocean!

Biographies/autobiographies/memoirs give the writer a chance to set the record straight. Not everyone's experiences are the same, and one man's experiences from his brief visit to Mexico (embellished in a Hollywood movie) should not define a period of history that lasted some thirty years and was shared by countless hundreds of others.

I have no problem with Ron Kovic or what he wrote of his experiences at "Villa Dulce". But they differ greatly from what most of "us" experienced. I lived there for most of the '70s and continued to spend significant time there up until 1993!

QUADALAJARA --- The Utopia That Once Was is a well reviewed 394 page hardcover book, the first 287 pages typed by a quadriplegic (me) using a typing stick (no voice activation system), followed by weathered old newspaper and magazine articles and more than 100 photos of people and places that shaped this almost forgotten moment in time. (Maybe that's why it took over two years to complete?)

For anyone interested, there are a number of old (some very old) photos on Myspace http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=134413608 and reviews on my BLOG. Additionally, there are more reviews, interviews and chapter previews under "BOOK" in the dropdown menu of my website.

I welcome any questions, comments, feedback, emails --- Heck, I'll even accept a book order or two :)

http://www.quadmexico.com/