Book Review: We Can Change the World
We Can Change the World: An Intimate Journey Through the Early 1970s by Lee Boutell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
We Can Change the World offers a deeply personal yet comprehensive account of life in Eugene, Oregon, in the early 1970s, blending memoir and social history through the eyes of an artist and businessowner who traded midwestern ‘sensibilities’ for the west coast counterculture during its peak years.
When author Lee Boutell realized he wasn’t fitting into typical midwestern college life, he withdrew from Kansas State University and drove west, with the hope that he’d find a more progressive college in another state. But life had other plans for him, and what he actually found was the city of Eugene, Oregon. Ironically, in spite of it being a college town, Lee was inspired to become a restaurant entrepreneur instead. Eugene turned out to be the perfect setting for his dreams to grow and flourish.
If you believe the cliche that all hippies were lazy, Lee’s accomplishments will be an eye-opener. While still in his early 20s, he decided to open a restaurant that would embrace the ideals he wanted to see in the world. His vegetarian restaurant operated as a profit sharing collective, brought to life via an astonishing amount of energy, sweat equity, creative thinking, and a constant eagerness to try something new. His energy, vision, and positive personality drew like-minded folk to join his world and help build a working example of what life could be. For those wondering why the restaurant was called Eggsnatchur Natural Foods, the name was inspired by a verse in the Jefferson Starship song, “Mau Mau (Amerikon)”.
You know Tyrannosaurus Rex was destroyed before
By a furry little ball that crawled along
The primeval jungle floor
He stole the eggs of the dinosaur
Close your eyes and create the sound
Open your hands and rebuild the ground
We are egg snatchers
Flashin’ sunshine children
Bunch of diamond thieves
This isn’t a short read. The author hasn’t glossed over the little details. This makes for immersive reading, and a feeling that you are right there with him puzzling out solutions to problems or creating something inspirational. When he built an outdoor deck and had to find a way to accommodate rapidly growing bamboo shoots, I cheered when he came up with a perfect solution. When he traveled to Hawaii and nothing played out as expected, I sympathized – and swore a little on his behalf. When Hawaii provided an unexpected way to welcome him to paradise, my swearing turned into laughter. When Lee agreed to a dangerous boating side-hustle to help boost the restaurant’s funds, I found myself sighing with relief when he finally made it safely back home.
Whether he’s storytelling about a typical day at the restaurant, or describing one of the many improvement projects that kept the restaurant vibrant, you’re going to hear all the details, right down to the daily cash register receipts. The pacing of the writing feels real-time. It’s in no hurry to rush to an ending. Lee bravely includes his personal introspection, speaking from the heart about his relationships with members of the Eggsnatchur family, his personal triumphs and failures, and his stance on mainstream society and politics. This is an engaging, entertaining book that should serve for a long time to come not only as a biography, but as a meaningful account of a community that existed in one of the most interesting eras in history.
I wish I was able to write such a detailed account of my own experiences during these same years. Coincidentally, I moved to Seattle just as the author was settling into life in Eugene. My memories of my struggles and triumphs during those years are vague at best. I’ve been trying to recreate my own personal timeline and write some memoirs in short story form, now that I’m retired and have more time to reminiscence. But I have very little documentation to go on, and as we all know, memories can fade or skew over time.
But Lee Boutell has been able to write a richly nuanced book, thanks in part to having access to all the letters he’d written to his parents back in Kansas, and the meticulous bookkeeping ledgers he kept up for the restaurant. Packrat mentality sometimes proves useful. Thank you for sharing your life, and your life’s work with curious readers, Lee. It is appreciated.
The book has a website where you can learn more about the restaurant, the people that made up the collective, watch a video collection of photographs, and read media articles that will transport you back in time. You can also read an excerpt from the book, and learn where to buy it.
Lori Alden Holuta
Lori Alden Holuta lives between the cornfields of Mid-Michigan, where she grows vegetables and herbs when she’s not writing, editing, or playing games with a cat named Chives.
