The Book Nook

Vanquishing Addiction and Abuse   Mikel Jollett is an author, songwriter and musician whose memoir, “Hollywood Park” describes the roller-coaster ride of his childhood and his journey to overcome hardship. Mikel and his older brother Tony were born in an infamous cult known as Synanon, where their parents met and divorced.  Babies were separated from their parents at six months and the boys barely knew their folks.  Their mother smuggled them out of the commune to escape Increasing violence, promising they’d be safe and happy in Oregon.  Instead, they endured poverty and emotional abuse. Their mother’s severe depression and personality disorders made her oblivious to all but her own needs.  Mikel was subjected to bullying from several sources.  He was frequently cold, hungry and frustrated.  The men their mother chose had addictive personalities, which only added to their fears and sense of abandonment. Mikel found solace in friends and music.  Things improved when his father Jimmy started visiting and calling.  They boys spent summers with him and their stepmother Bonnie in Los Angeles, finally finding the love and acceptance they craved.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough and, at heartbreakingly young ages, first Tony and then Mikel turned to alcohol and other drugs.  Mikel would later follow Tony’s lead in living full-time with their father, but by now both boys were making dangerously bad decisions. One summer Mikel confessed to Bonnie and Jimmy that he’d hidden drug and alcohol use from them and that he feared dying or going in and out of rehab like Tony.  They believed his claim of wanting a better life and helped to guide him in a new direction.  After entering high school, he was surprised to find that he enjoyed learning.  He joined the track team, later winning the L. A. City Finals for the class C mile.  His paternal family was proud that he was the first Jollett man to qualify for college.  When he called his mom to say he’d won a financial scholarship to Stanford University, she admonished him for abandoning her. Once in college, Mikel compared himself unfavorably to other students, feeling his background prevented him from fitting it.  An injury that ended his running career left him feeling untethered and ready to quit school.  It was at this low point in his life that Mikel was contacted by a clinic asking for his help in his mother’s recovery.  They finally had an opportunity to tell her what they’d endured growing up and how it affected them without interruption.  They learned the name of their mom’s disorders, and realized at last that everything negative in their childhood wasn’t their fault But the damage had been done and it was severe.  While Mikel was superb at wearing whatever mask would help him in life, he often felt wretched.  His uneven behavior towards his girlfriends left both of them battered and hurt.  He stuck with college, and after graduating with honors in 1996, he drifted for a bit, unhappy and unsure what to do. Following his love of music led him to writing about concerts and interviewing musicians, including his idols Robert Smith and David Bowie.  After an intense period in his life, he wrote several songs and became the front man for the band he formed – The Airborne Toxic Event. The band enjoyed success and tours led him far and wide, but Mikel continued to suffer mentally.  A long period of therapy helped him understand his emotions and forge meaningful long-term connections.  While he gives himself some credit for his career success and happiness as a husband and father, he praises his dad as an instrumental figure in achieving these goals. Although his father joked about his own struggles with drug addiction and life in prison, he also shared honest emotions and his hopes for both boys.  His support and love shine through the book, even when relationships were strained. Another huge plus for this tale is the writing style, which starts from a child’s limited point of view and evolves into mesmerizing prose.  His poetic voice delivers heart-breaking images of a troubled youth as readers are led through his rocky journey of self-discovery.  He doesn’t gloss over his own role in delinquency and addiction, instead sharing feelings that confused and haunted him.  The story of his last visit to the racetrack he went to with his dad is especially touching. In addition to the accomplishments listed above, Jollet was also an editor-at-large for Men’s Health and an editor at Filter magazine.  He’s contributed to NPR and the L. A. Times, and had short stories published. He has enjoyed success with his band since 2006 and is active on social media. My first encounter with this amazing account was through an audiobook skillfully read by the author, with his band providing the book’s soundtrack.  The narration was so compelling that I wanted to experience it his amazing prose visually.  Both were remarkably enjoyable and I recommend either to memoir lovers, those looking for an inspiring or heartfelt story and fans of good plain writing. Whether you choose the audiobook or a print version, you may find yourself cheering for Mikel Jollet’s hard-won victories.