Disturbingly Normal
by
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The Grateful Dead gave their
first public performance of “Bird Song” on February 19, 1971, at the Capital
Theater in
Ever since the first time he heard it live, “Bird Song” had struck a deep and pleasant chord in Wallace’s heart. Its melodic tone and simple verses spoke to him, and, after hours of listening, it ultimately became his favorite Grateful Dead song. So, when he heard the song being sung by the naked young man wandering aimlessly through the woods of the resort he managed, his apprehensions were slightly eased.
“Hey there, good buddy,” Wallace called out. "I’m the night manager here at the Eel River Resort. Are you one of our guests?”
The young man didn’t respond to Wallace’s question, just continued to wander about and sing. “If you hear that same sweet song again, will you know why? Anyone who sings a tune so sweet is passin’ by.”
Because Wallace wasn’t quite sure if the young man was ignoring him or simply unaware of his presence, he cupped his hands around his mouth, walked a few steps closer, and repeated, “Are you one of our guests?”
Again, the man didn’t respond. “Laugh in the sunshine, sing, cry in the dark, fly through the night…”
Throughout the four years Wallace worked as the night manger of the Eel River Resort, he’d encountered and dealt with many a drunk and disorderly guest. Having to do so was a part of his job, and he accepted the responsibility without complaint. But his encounter with this young man was different. His behavior wasn’t that of someone who’d indulged in too much alcohol. It was the behavior of someone who’d indulged in something stronger and far more mentally invasive. Something that Wallace had once regularly indulged in himself but had since sworn to never touch again.
“Are you tripping?” Wallace asked in a steady voice.
Apparently the question awakened something in the young man, because he stopped singing and turned to face Wallace.
Encouraged by the sudden shift in behavior, Wallace waited patiently for a verbal response.
The man said nothing.
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About the Book
Disturbingly Normal is the story of Jonathan Normal, a moody, sensitive guy who picks up dead bodies for an Oakland, California, mortuary. One day, for reasons he doesn’t understand, he “slips into a blur” while working. When he returns to his senses, he finds himself on the side of an isolated road with a receipt for an aluminum baseball bat in his pocket and a bludgeoned corpse at his side. Fired by the mortuary, Jonathan sets off on a prophetic journey of uncommon insight—slowly unfolding the dark reasons behind his uncharacteristically brutal act.
About the Author
Born in 1972, J.D. Lenzen grew up in and around the Bay Area—the bubble he calls home. After college, he spent his mid-twenties living and working in the redwoods of the San Mateo Mountains, and his late-twenties exploring, playing, and stumbling within the various underground scenes of San Francisco. He now writes novels and short stories based upon people he's known, places he's been and exploits he's experienced.