Confessions of an unapologetic bisexual hippie: Interview with Hunga Dunga author Phil Polizatto

This is my interview with Phil Polizatto, author of the very charming, sexy, somewhat rambling, spiritual, bisexual novel that could give you a contact high--Hunga Dunga: Confessions of an Unapologetic Hippie. Hunga Dunga offers a window into the very hippie 60s: hichhiking adventures; music festivals; hippie communes with residents like Divine, Sylvester and the Cockettes; drug-laced spiritual quests to India; threesomes; orgies and the quest for enlightenment and world peace. Hunga Dunga was nominated for the Bisexual Fiction Lammy Award in 2009.

Over the course of your novel, the main character Giacco journeys all over the sexual map. He has passions with men, women and couples, although he seems to lean toward men. How would you describe his orientation?

Giacco is a young man to whom the universe just happens. As people come into his life, he pays less attention to their gender and more to how much they touch his heart. As luck would have it, he doesn’t have to declare a sexual orientation because he has “grown up” in a new world where everyone is everything. This is true for most of his adult life. Though he could have easily ended up living with a woman, fate sets before him a man who has meandered in and out of his life, the person who has touched his heart the most.

Where do you think you fit on the Kinsey scale or Klein sexual orientation grid? Do you lean more toward men, like Giacco? Or are you closer to the middle of the Kinsey scale?

As I age, I find myself slightly more attracted to women than to men. But this shift came after I was already in a long-term, monogamous, relationship with a man. I am very close to the middle of the Kinsey scale, enough that I consider myself bisexual. If there is such a thing as a bisexual man or woman who is precisely in the middle of the Kinsey scale, I would like to meet him or her. Ultimately, if such a person is to have a relationship in which both parties are “in it for the long haul,” at some point he or she must make a choice and commit to making the relationship work.

I know there are couples, other than Tim and I, who have managed to have “open relationships” which do not threaten the primary one. I know there are partners, other than Tim and I, who have been able to invite third parties into their nest without complication. Sometimes it is a one-time “adventure.” Other times, it may be a sustained one, culminating in a three-way, long-term relationship. I think such relationships are very rare and those who can maintain them without hurt to anyone are very lucky. However, I personally believe a monogamous relationship is the most satisfying. Having said all this, I find myself in a very healthy, loving, and monogamous relationship with a man. I am committed to him and must put my attraction to women aside.

You describe your book as “a true novel.” Can you explain?

The second edition of Hunga Dunga is subtitled, “Confessions of an Unapologetic Hippie,” nevertheless, it remains “a true novel.” If it weren’t for the artistic license I took to embellish certain events for dramatic or comedic effect, and if I hadn’t collapsed time by about two years so all the many plot lines would come together in a satisfying conclusion, Hunga Dunga would be in the non-fiction section of a bookstore. But I did embellish events. I did collapse time. In that sense, it is a novel. But I warn the reader: the more implausible something seems, the more likely it is to be true.

What parts of the story were fictional and which were real?

Hunga Dunga is 98% true! Most of the names of characters in the book are their real names, used with their written permission. However, I will not reveal which 2% was fiction. That is for each reader to determine in his or her own mind. If, after reading the book, someone cares to email me with questions regarding specific events or characters, I will answer them honestly. More than likely, my answer will be “yes, it is true, yes, it really happened!”

But I did hitchhike a lot and, unlike Giacco, I did it with my two dogs, Josh and Pipsqueak.

I hitchhiked, back in the day, and I can’t imagine doing it with one dog, let alone two!

Hitchhiking was the hippie’s rapid transit system. I may have had to wait longer than others did for a ride, but when one did come along, I knew it would be just the right one. Only a true hippie brother or sister would ever pick up someone with two dogs. As added security, Josh and Pip would let me know if the driver were cool or not before I accepted the ride. So I always felt sure the wait would be worth the while; the ride would be safe and fun, and often the driver’s yell, “hey, where you headed?” would be accompanied by an arm reaching across the seat to offer a toke off a joint.

I traveled very lightly. My pack had more dog food than clothes. More than likely whoever would pick up a ragged hippie with two dogs usually extended an invite to crash at his/her house for the night. If not, I would find a nice place to camp, knowing my dogs would keep me warm and safe.

Josh and Pip were so accustomed to hitchhiking, that if a car pulled over to the curb to let a passenger out, Josh would startle the driver by immediately jumping in! That was always a hoot.

The book’s title, Hunga Dunga, is taken from a real hippie commune in San Francisco where you lived. Can you describe life there?

Hunga Dunga was a very important commune within the inter-communal network of San Francisco. It was comprised of such a variety of personalities, it is amazing it functioned as well as it did. Sixteen people, from members of the Cockettes to country-hippie macho men; earth-mother goddesses to slinky sexy women, and a baby all lived together. How the commune worked, made decisions, and managed to provide free food to all the communes, is described in detail in the book. Hunga Dunga is a “how to” book for anyone who truly wants to understand peace and love and how to act accordingly.

You knew drag divas Divine and Sylvester who lived in hippie communes nearby to Hunga Dunga, performed in the drag theater troupe, The Cockettes and became famous. Divine for starring in John Waters movies and Sylvester for being a disco diva with #1 hits. Got any interesting stories about them?

Lots of stories! Divine lived at Flo Airwaves, a commune next door to Hunga Dunga. Something I learned very quickly was never to call Divine by his given name. He would go into a fit! He/She and other members of Flo Airwaves were often dinner guests at Hunga Dunga, along with John Waters, Sylvester, Harvey Milk, (Hunga Dunga always helped with all his political campaigns,) and other outrageous characters, some of whom also became very famous, albeit after the time period covered in the book. That is another story in itself.

My most vivid memory of Sylvester, other than his extraordinary five-octave range, was the time he initiated a ménage a vent at his commune on Dolores Street. I found it most beautiful to see twenty people light up twenty cigarettes for the customary post-orgy relaxation.

In the book, you describe how a unique inter-commune economy sprung up between nearby hippie communes. How did it work?

It was an economy based on trust, free, and “crazy” pay! Though some had real jobs, most were working for the government… except the government didn’t know it! In other words, we were getting food stamps, General Assistance, and most coveted of all, Aid to the Totally Disabled, thanks to government psychiatrists who thought anyone who behaved as we did must be crazy! Each commune was eager to provide a service depending on the skills within that commune. Thus, the free garage, the free bakery, the free theater, the free woodworking shop, and the free food conspiracy, as examples. Regarding the latter, the rule of thumb was, do not take as much as you want, but take as much as you need. At Hunga Dunga, each member had to put all his or her monthly income into the communal financial pool. No matter how much or how little money a communard contributed, be it in cash, food stamps, or welfare, any monies left over after the bills were paid, were equally divided into “funds” for things people “wanted.” It would take patience, but not only were all of their needs met, they all got what they wanted as well.

You went on a spiritual quest to India and also got involved with Guru Maharaj Ji in America.
What do you think about all that now?

I now believe that religion is the root of all evil. But I don’t dismiss the meditation techniques of Maharaj Ji as being invalid. They are techniques that preceded the young “guru” by thousands of years. Maharaj Ji is a human being and nothing more. But I thank him for what he shared in exchange for a blade of grass.

Many people feel a split in their life between sexuality and spirituality. How do you view that issue?

I personally do not feel that split. I have always found sex with either gender to be a spiritual exercise. All sex is an attempt to achieve union, be it a one-night stand or a long-term one. If, with intent, you approach sex as a means to union, becoming one, it is spiritual.

You are an accomplished professional writer. Why did you choose to self-publish?

It took me 11 years to write Hunga Dunga. I had been working diligently, but in a vacuum. I was a hermit, a total recluse. During the 11th year, I began to reach out to other authors and heard nothing but horror stories of rejections from mainstream publishers who would say “We only accept manuscripts through an agent,” and from agents who would say, “We only represent authors who have been previously published.” A very frustrating Catch-22. After pouring my heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears into Hunga Dunga, I was very anxious to make the book available to the public. I never once sent the manuscript to any publisher or agent. I decided to self-publish, though I think of myself as an “indie” author and hope that someday “indie” books achieve the same status as indie films or indie music. I feel that Hunga Dunga, more than the hilarity, zaniness, thrills, and sexual adventures, is an important and profound book. It is probably the most accurate cultural history ever written about that magical time. It tells the real story of the good hippie. It is a reaffirmation of values that would serve us very well today. Giacco is tempted to scream out, “We told you so over 40 years ago! We are still waiting for you to catch up!”

I have no binding contract with any publisher. Should a traditional publisher come along who appreciates the heart and soul of Hunga Dunga and would like to republish it under their name, I would seriously consider it. But I will never allow the lack of having a traditional publisher deter me from making my work readily available to the public.

Will Giacco have any more adventures? Are you working on any other books?

Many people who have read Hunga Dunga write me, longing for a sequel, something that will continue the stories of all these outrageous characters and what became of them. I intentionally end the book in 1976. I did not want to go any further. I only wanted to cover the “golden” years, not the “plague” years. However, I do answer individual requests for information about specific characters.

I am working on my second novel, Saltydog. This book is also based on a real life experience. It is an intense exploration into bisexuality, but in the process pushes the envelope of what most readers are capable of accepting. It delves into the most taboo subjects, but my hope is that I can create characters so colorful, loveable, and sympathetic; readers will allow themselves to go where few have willingly gone before.

Hunga Dunga: Confessions of an Unapologetic Hippie by Phil Polizatto is available online and in bookstores.

Phil Polizatto attended a very reputable university and graduated reputably. He has been a feature writer for the overseas division of UPI, a copywriter for CBS, an award-winning corporate film producer and a teacher. He wrote the score, lyrics and book for the [unproduced but recorded on CD] musical, Pokin’ Around! and immortalized the music of Cowboy Bob in the unforgettable spoof CD, Cowboy Bob: The Morbid Years. Mr. Polizatto is a poet published in a variety of literary journals. Hunga Dunga is his first novel. He resides in the Pacific Northwest.