Touchstones A Survivor's Story

Book excerpt: Touchstones a Survivor's Story chronicles the life of one man's journey through his "Touchstones", the people who guided him on a fantastic odyssey. The author takes us on a journey from his socialist upbringing in San Francisco to the Summer of Love, the fight for Free Speech, the pitched, teargas battles in the streets with the TACT Squad, the author's resistance and continuous participation in the demonstrations which led to the end of the Vietnam War. From the exotic casbahs of Fez and Marrakesh the author's search led him on the adventure of a lifetime. Beyond the minarets of Istanbul in 1972, at the tender age of 23, he came of age along the Silk Road. Overland through the ancient cities of Iran and Afghanistan, across the Khyber Pass to India and the Himalayas, the author lived an indigenous life for a time with the Tibetan and Sherpa peoples in a small village in the Valley of Kathmandu. From the early days of the Haight-Ashbury, later hitchhiking through Europe behind the Iron Curtain, he was a witness to the global changes of the period. From camel caravans and the atmosphere of pre-Taliban Afghanistan, to the villages of Nepal and the fishing villages and beaches of Goa, India; he captures a time when the world was open to those who would experience the freedom of the time. The author weaves his way through adventures taking us along for the ride. The reader of Touchstones will go on this fascinating journey with him as he discovers the world, what is important to him, how to be a survivor; and, most importantly his true self. Throughout this wonderfully written book, we learn the importance of not only going on a search for truth, but the importance of fully embracing all that is discovered along the way - truly a lesson for us all. But the book is so much more - fast-paced, riveting and totally alive. From the Runways of New York, the author found his passion both for photography and romance, meeting some of the most exciting personalities in the world; from Mick Jagger and Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson and Julie Christie, famous models like Lauren Hutton, and designers like Calvin Klein. From Bombay to Fire Island (the gay Mecca of New York), the author's story reads like a roller-coaster ride, compelling, a thriller through one man's tenacious desire to be free. "Michael Rossum's book is phenomenal. I have known a great deal about his life, but I was riveted to each page and every chapter. The way he writes takes me to every moment he mentions, every person I knew, every color and feeling and painful experience he recants or that he spoke about with me previously. He is a masterful writer about his truth. His book must be read, because it is a rare insight into a man who never gives in or gives up. He has outlived everyone and keeps me going, too." Betty Judah, Dyslexia Consultant "From the early days of the Haight-Ashbury, later hitchhiking through Europe, behind the iron curtain, and following the Hippie route through Iran, Afghanistan, India, and the Middle East, he was a witness to global changes of the period. From camel caravans and the atmosphere of pre-Taliban Afghanistan to the villages of Nepal and the beaches of Goa, he captures the time where the world was open to those who experienced the freedom of that time. Jump to the glory days of the gay scene in New York and San Francisco and the devastation and loss during the AIDS epidemic - Michael has seen it all." Anne Ross, Editor "v