I confess to having read Tom Wolfe's The Pumphouse Gang some 30 times since getting hold of it in high school. Not that I was thick to the message, but with every reading some nuance, some observation came flying out with such razor sharp accuracy that I could not imagine anyone who is a more keen observer of American culture than he is.

So naturally, sharing this essay read by Wolfe, as part of the Comment series from 1971 seems a perfect addition to the Chronicles.

If you haven't read any Tom Wolfe, or aren't familiar with him, I would really urge you to put him on your list of "must reads', particularly when it comes to class and culture clashes of the 1960's.

But in the meantime, have a listen for five minutes.