Max Talley’s latest novel, Peace, Love & Haight, captures the essence of a cultural revolution in a vivid chronicle of protagonist Freddie Dorn’s escapades during a focused six-month period, from July to December 1969. Talley says he aimed to combine “crime fiction, literary fiction, and historical fiction” in the tome, which takes readers on a vibrant “trip” through the streets of San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Cruz, Marin County, Los Angeles, and beyond.
Talley’s prose reflects, as he describes it, “a thick stew of music, art, drugs, free love, counterculture.” His detailed descriptions reflect an impressive deep-dive into researching the historical setting, from accurate dates and times, bridges and boardwalks, to streets, sounds, and scents.
Why did you choose to write about this particular era in U.S. history?