Great Regulars: Whenever it comes to the era known

as the 60s, I go wobbly in the knees. Perspective disappears, and reason evaporates. For me, this tumultuous decade--which in spirit runs from about 1960, with the election of John F. Kennedy, through the end of the Vietnam War in 1975--has a charm and promise all its own, which I associate with a feeling of freedom from old pieties and a sense of fresh possibilities.

from Jay Parini: The Chronicle Review: Sizing Up the 60s

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