Abstract Essay, now in its sixth season, features Al Krockey, author of Straight Outta Skokie: The Krockey Chronicles: 1968—the first installment of an upcoming coming-of-age trilogy—as a special guest, sharing the inspiration behind his compelling story,
Published: May 28, 2026
Duration: 24:47
Al Krockey
In 1968, Al Krockey was eighteen years old coming of age in the most culturally explosive era in American history.
In 1968, Al Krockey was eighteen years old coming of age in the most culturally explosive era in American history.
But the road to that moment began years earlier in Skokie, Illinois, where a block of co-op apartments and split-level houses felt like an entire universe.
From hustling a buck—hawking souvenirs outside Wrigley Field, working odd jobs, and dealing a little weed—to chasing the music that defined a generation, Kroc...