Westfield Author Shares His Adventures Of Growing Up In 60s, 70s In New Book

WESTFIELD, NJ — Growing up in the 60s and 70s is radically different in comparison to teens growing up now. It was a time before cell phones and the need for adult supervision. Many teens had the freedom to just leave the house and not return until dinner.

Lifelong New Jerseyan and Westfield resident Joshua Suri, who writes under the pen name, Emilio S. Cot, is tapping into his memories and sharing his crazy adventures of growing up in that period in a "lily-white neighborhood" in the Hillcrest section of Paterson with his new book "Hillcrest: Stories From The Edge Of Paterson."

"It was a very different time. It really captured the formative years for me and my friends," said Cot to Patch.

Cot described Paterson as a melting pot. People of all different races, beliefs, and ethnicities lived in town. However, Cot's neighborhood was very different.

"In our neighborhood, which was a half-mile square-wide, everyone was white and everyone was Catholic... It was different from the rest of Paterson. We never realized how insulated and isolated we were," said Cot.

Cot's book, Hillcrest, is a collection of 30 short stories starting in 1966 when he first moved to the neighborhood and ending in 1978.

The book follows Cot's early teenage life and a lot of the crazy things he was able to experience without adult supervision.

"In the 60s and 70s, we were able to go out of the house without supervision. How lucky we were to have that freedom and independence," said Cot.

These formative years shaped the boys into the men they would become, as they entered adulthood and made profound decisions that would affect their lives forever, according to the book's description.

The stories include meeting girls, drinking, smoking pot, and being out all night long.

"It's definitely a memoir but has deep and strong sociology analogies," said Cot.

The book also addresses religion, wealth, and growing up in their neighborhood versus the rest of the town.

For more information or to purchase the book visit www.hillcrestthebook.com.

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