Tales from the Lucky Generation
by Bob Calkin
As a memoir Bob Calkin’s book is quite unique, in particular for his insights into his own psyche, as he finds himself starting a prison sentence for white collar crime. He also becomes a social scientist, completing a doctorate after doing his stretch, and then tried to turn his insights into practical policy solutions for dealing with young male offenders.
This is a good story, and an excellent read, with Calkin benefitting from advice on writing it up (there is an unedited PDF version on-line). But his idea is to begin the book as he starts his jail sentence, a businessman in his forties, with a wife and family living in a relatively affluent suburb in Palmerston North. Each chapter on his prison time alternates with a chapter on his life growing up in Whanganui, and then career as a lawyer. So he has almost finished detailing the prison stretch by the time he explains how he got his fraud conviction, and a particularly lengthy jail sentence, which certainly seems to have been rather harsh.
Although he theorises about his own psychological state, following the writing of Jung, it is his social history that is perhaps more interesting. Calkin provides a vivid account of growing up near Marton, and then in the suburb of Castlecliff, in Whanganui, especially during the war years. His main insight is the explanation of being in the ‘lucky’ generation, those that grew up in time to enjoy the post-war boom, and the benefits of a period of social mobility.
Nonetheless, Calkin is obviously very proud of his modest upbringing, and his place in a working class, Labour-voting community. He is the first in his family to get the opportunity to attend university, and he then gets a law degree in Wellington. There he associates with the likes of Trevor de Cleene, something of a rogue even before he became a Cabinet minister in the Fourth Labour Government. Indeed, Calkin and de Cleene would share a legal practice, after he started his law career down in Invercargill. As de Cleene veers off into party politics, Calkin leaves the law for business opportunities in the rather volatile 1970s.
Although this may seem just the story of the working class boy making a small fortune, and then losing the lot, it actually provides a useful insight into the period that preceded the political upheaval of 1984. Just as Calkin comes out of prison a changed man, his former associate participates in economic reforms that are tearing apart communities, both rural and urban, but it was preceded by social dislocation that also created a latent crime wave.
Some of the observations about the effects of what is called Neo-liberalism may seem familiar, but in writing about his own research into the lost boys from broken homes who became attracted to drug dealing, Calkin provides a unique perspective on sociological issues. Unfortunately, the policymakers were not receptive to his work in the 1990s.
This book is well written, and based on evident wisdom gained through life experience, and it deserves a reading beyond the main redemption narrative. More could be said about the interaction between business and community formation in post war New Zealand. It is also vital in providing a lesson on the value of research in social science, obviously now on the decline in the universities, and which may never recover from years of official neglect.
by Bob Calkin
As a memoir Bob Calkin’s book is quite unique, in particular for his insights into his own psyche, as he finds himself starting a prison sentence for white collar crime. He also becomes a social scientist, completing a doctorate after doing his stretch, and then tried to turn his insights into practical policy solutions for dealing with young male offenders.
This is a good story, and an excellent read, with Calkin benefitting from advice on writing it up (there is an unedited PDF version on-line). But his idea is to begin the book as he starts his jail sentence, a businessman in his forties, with a wife and family living in a relatively affluent suburb in Palmerston North. Each chapter on his prison time alternates with a chapter on his life growing up in Whanganui, and then career as a lawyer. So he has almost finished detailing the prison stretch by the time he explains how he got his fraud conviction, and a particularly lengthy jail sentence, which certainly seems to have been rather harsh.
Although he theorises about his own psychological state, following the writing of Jung, it is his social history that is perhaps more interesting. Calkin provides a vivid account of growing up near Marton, and then in the suburb of Castlecliff, in Whanganui, especially during the war years. His main insight is the explanation of being in the ‘lucky’ generation, those that grew up in time to enjoy the post-war boom, and the benefits of a period of social mobility.
Nonetheless, Calkin is obviously very proud of his modest upbringing, and his place in a working class, Labour-voting community. He is the first in his family to get the opportunity to attend university, and he then gets a law degree in Wellington. There he associates with the likes of Trevor de Cleene, something of a rogue even before he became a Cabinet minister in the Fourth Labour Government. Indeed, Calkin and de Cleene would share a legal practice, after he started his law career down in Invercargill. As de Cleene veers off into party politics, Calkin leaves the law for business opportunities in the rather volatile 1970s.
Although this may seem just the story of the working class boy making a small fortune, and then losing the lot, it actually provides a useful insight into the period that preceded the political upheaval of 1984. Just as Calkin comes out of prison a changed man, his former associate participates in economic reforms that are tearing apart communities, both rural and urban, but it was preceded by social dislocation that also created a latent crime wave.
Some of the observations about the effects of what is called Neo-liberalism may seem familiar, but in writing about his own research into the lost boys from broken homes who became attracted to drug dealing, Calkin provides a unique perspective on sociological issues. Unfortunately, the policymakers were not receptive to his work in the 1990s.
This book is well written, and based on evident wisdom gained through life experience, and it deserves a reading beyond the main redemption narrative. More could be said about the interaction between business and community formation in post war New Zealand. It is also vital in providing a lesson on the value of research in social science, obviously now on the decline in the universities, and which may never recover from years of official neglect.
Review by S A Boyce
Title: Tales from the Lucky Generation
Author: Bob Calkin
Publisher: Quentin Wilson Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-99-110332-1
RRP: $45
Available: bookshops
Author: Bob Calkin
Publisher: Quentin Wilson Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-99-110332-1
RRP: $45
Available: bookshops
RSS Feed
