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Ronald Schulz was born in 1952 in Chicago. He dropped out to explore the Sixties radical counterculture before hitchhiking across Europe and Africa on a roundabout Buddhist pilgrimage to Nepal. Now a semi-retired jack of all trades and a new author writing his honest history of those tumultuous times, he hopes to honor the memory of departed friends before he, too, vanishes from this planet. He has taken advanced writing classes at the University of Washington and Hugo House. Ronald is a father of two and a grandfather of three, who believes in living life to the fullest, regardless of circumstances.
Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Teenage Runaway by Ronald Schulz is the true account of his departure from home at age fifteen in 1967 and his subsequent journey through Illinois and the southern U.S. Schulz details his methods of evasion, travel by bus, and brief encounters with locals while navigating urban and rural environments. Upon reaching New Orleans, he experiences theft and forms temporary relationships, including with individuals named Tom and Johnny, while seeking employment and shelter. Schulz recounts his time living in poor conditions on Skid Row, interactions at a Catholic mission, and encounters with law enforcement that led to his detention in a juvenile facility. Following his release, he returns home. He also describes family interactions and community attitudes on race, and documents early social activities, including involvement in an underground school newspaper and connections with various youth subcultures, before preparing to explore hippie communes in the Southwest.
Teenage Runaway: Memoirs of a 1960s Hippy by Ronald Schulz is a well-written, sharply observed account of a teenager’s self-directed odyssey across the American landscape in 1967. Schulz’s voice is confident and precise, and his attention to setting and atmosphere, whether describing abandoned buildings outside DeKalb or the streets of New Orleans, is consistently effective. Small moments stand out, such as his encounter with a dreamlike figure named Pancho or his brief time working under an alias distributing flyers. The book maintains focus and momentum across shifting locations and encounters, and you almost feel the grit and texture of what he lived, which is remarkable. It was a different time, but so much of it is relatable today, and Schulz’s willingness to honestly include moments of disillusionment, such as being robbed or watching racial harassment, gives the writing a grounded, observational quality. This is a memoir with all the hallmarks of great fiction, and the fact that it is true just makes it so much more impactful. Very highly recommended.
