The Trip Into Milky Way

It is the end of the sixties, a decade marred by the Vietnam War, assassinations, student protests and the civil rights struggle, but a decade equally distinguished by peace and love, a celebration of newfound freedoms and great achievements, like mankind’s first landing on the moon. For Clay Matthews, the quixotic hero of The Trip Into Milky Way, these shifting tides of history come to a head when a draft notice arrives in the mail, the destiny of his life irreversibly altered when he decides not to report for induction, the tale of his life transformed into the ‘other side of Vietnam’ and what happens to a young man who refuses to die for his country. Just as a generation was forever defined by that misguided war, Clay’s solitary journey into manhood is hurtled down an alternative path by his principled decision to avoid it.

From the enchanted shores of Hawaii to a sojourn along the deserted beaches of Mexico to a star-crossed love affair and ultimate incarceration in a Mexican prison, a host of colorful sixties characters join Clay along the way, like Stan, the world weary ‘Nam chopper pilot, Faith, an expatriate slumming in sleepy San Blas, Jijiwa, a Papago shaman and Eric, a Bhagavad-Gita toting friend from Clay’s past, each of them playing a role in his ongoing quest for enlightenment. The Trip Into Milky Way. An epic adventure and haunting romance that together lead to a heartfelt conclusion.