Features of the Webnovel: 1969

The Year 1969
This webnovel follows the lives of four central characters (Jake, Joanie, Pat, and Jukie) over a single year, 1969, although their stories could have taken place anytime during the ten-year period (1965-1975) when the United States was at war in Viet Nam and in turmoil at home.

Limiting these stories to a single year was done purely for dramatic purposes. The year 1969, was selected, in particular, due to the confluence of certain signal events that occurred in that year, as well as the fortuitous double entendre this eponymous date provides to a work in which sex plays such an important role.

The Stories
The webnovel is divided into fourteen chronological parts--- New Year’s Eve 1968, the twelve months of 1969, and New Year's Eve 1969--- each of which is further divided into fifty or so roughly chronological scenes that provide a window into the story of one or another of these four characters. You may "read" these stories in any order you wish, including:

• proceeding in roughly chronological order
• following the story of a single character through any number of consecutive scenes
• branching off to explore how the stories of two or more characters intersect
• randomly

The Music
Music was an extraordinarily important element of these times. For many of us, it almost seemed as though our lives had their own soundtracks. Some of this music was widely shared, anthems of the age, if you will. Other music held more individual significance.

Thus, the music of the 60s is, in a sense, the fifth major character of the webnovel and so, as you read a scene, you may want to listen to the music listed in its soundtrack or perhaps to other songs from the period that you would prefer.

You may do this by listening to your own digital music library and/or to the authorized YouTube videos embedded in each scene. [NB:  Authorized videos are usually accompanied by ads… no free lunch if creators are to be rewarded for their efforts. These ads or “next up”videos from our own times can sometimes serve as an ironic companion to the embedded videos from the 60s.]

The Zeitgeist

The zeitgeist of “the 60s”---the spirit of the times--- is yet another critical element of the webnovel.

• Political, cultural, and historical events of the times are woven into the narrative and are further described in related web links, listed at the bottom of the scene. [NB: Accessing these links will take you temporarily to different web sites, which may appear in a new window or tab and from which you'll need to return to this web novel.]
• In addition to the music of the times, you can listen to and/or view embedded authorized audio and video clips of live events and television and radio broadcasts from the period.
• Contributed period photos will be embedded on the pages of the narrative, as they are received and vetted. (See immediately below.)

You, the User
The webnovel takes place at an unnamed university (the U) in an unnamed university town (U-Town), near an unnamed city (The City), which contains an unnamed Afro-American and/or Hispanic ghetto (The Hood). These places are unnamed because the micro-events in this webnovel could have taken place in many comparable places in America in the 60s.

Thus, it is intended that if you are from or attended college in New York City or the San Francisco Bay area or Michigan or North Carolina or Texas or wherever, you will be able to imagine the events of the webnovel as taking place in your own local or regional U, Town, City, and Hood.

• Our goal is eventually to publish this webnovel using software that will permit people from different parts of the country to read versions that use the names of their chosen U, Town, City and Hood and that contain embedded images and links to appropriate local period photos and news clippings.
• In the meantime, readers are encouraged to contribute, for inclusion as links in the "generic" version, their memories of these times, in print (memoir or fiction), photos, video, scanned articles or images, music, etc.

[You may send us digitized materials and/or links to materials you have posted on a blog, social networking or media-sharing site such as YouTube. Please provide written permissions and labels for all contributions, indicating place and approximate date. State whether you wish to be credited or have these materials appear anonymously. Email all contributions or questions to Info@cyberfictionpublishers.com.]

Coming Soon
Users will soon be able to listen to the scenes read aloud. This will enable sight-impaired people to experience the webnovel, and others to listen to it read aloud while watching the associated video clips, etc.