By Paula Zepeda
Raised in the Baltimore suburbs as one of four siblings (including an identical twin), Howard Kramer (ΦBK, University of Michigan) became enamored with the anthems of rock music that would shape his worldview. This is well illustrated by his debut novel, Hitching to Bowie: A ‘70s Road Trip Tale of Music, Miles, and Discovery, a coming-of-age young adult novel published earlier this year.
Kramer shared the moment that sparked his decision to write the novel: “I was ruminating about the choice for my first book when the song ‘Ziggy Stardust’ by David Bowie came on the car radio. The karma from that moment made me realize that the 500 mile hitching journey to see Bowie in concert was the book I had to write.”
Set in the 1970s, Kramer’s story compellingly invites readers to see from the protagonist’s point of view the numerous adventures and fun times that happened within that time period, all occurring within a remarkable journey of hitch-hiking five hundred miles to see the legendary rockstar David Bowie perform live in concert. During the trip, the protagonist—a college student nicknamed “Midnight”—meets a variety of intriguing people, including a private detective hiding a personal secret and a tour bus driver struggling with generational gap differences. Each character essentially brings their own complexities, gradually revealed throughout the novel.
A touching aspect of the novel is that it draws inspiration from the author’s own life and deep passion for rock music. Kramer explains the significance of rock music within the novel and his personal life:
“Rock music is central to the novel. I saw my first concert at 16 and have been going to concerts for over 50 years. I saw Bruce Springsteen in concert a year ago. As the book expresses, rock music is poetry and artistry as well as entertainment. The changing patterns of rock music run like a river through the book’s 500 mile roundtrip journey.”
Similar to the book’s protagonist Midnight, Kramer’s college education began at the University of Michigan. He graduated from the university with high honors and received “the award for the senior having done the best work in political science.”
After obtaining his M.A. (International Relations) and J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981, Kramer moved to Washington, D.C., to begin his legal career as an attorney specializing in the U.S. financial regulatory structure and U.S. securities laws and regulations. During his time working for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission before moving to private practice, he earned various prestigious awards, such as the Presidential Award For Meritorious Service and the Supervisory Excellence Award.
Shifting from legal writing to fiction, however, proved to be a challenging departure from the structured world of law. “Fiction writing is 180 degrees different from legal writing, while the latter is precise, explanatory, and argumentative,” Kramer explained. “Fiction is not precise but descriptive. It wanders and lets the readers form their own ideas about what’s happening in the book. It paints a picture for the reader to imagine. Writing the novel was one of the hardest challenges I’ve had in many years.”
This intellectual shift from legal writing to fiction reflects a broader commitment to learning—a value Kramer also sees embodied in his ΦBK membership. “ΦBK not only connotes my academic achievement but also a continued enthusiasm for learning and expanding my horizons,” he said, adding that “ΦBK connects me to a community that has similar aspirations.”
Since its publication, Hitching to Bowie: A ‘70s Road Trip Tale of Music, Miles, and Discovery has received positive reviews from the greater community, such as by ‘Radio’ Dave Milberg (rock music historian, podcaster, broadcaster), who described it as: “A rollicking road trip through a fun adventure in David Bowie fandom and the music and issues of the ‘70s. It’s a page-turning tome that truly rocks!”
Similarly, David Krell (co-founder of the International Securities Exchange) shared a similar positive tone in writing that “Hitching to Bowie is a great read for music lovers, adventurers, and anyone who craves a nostalgic ride through time when anything felt possible.”
To learn more about Hitching to Bowie: A ‘70s Road Trip Tale of Music, Miles, and Discovery, please visit the Mascot Books website or on the Amazon website. He plans to write a follow-up sequel this upcoming fall about the main character Midnight’s life several years into the future.
Paula Zepeda is a recent graduate of University of California, Los Angeles who majored in Political Science with a minor in Latin American Studies. She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in spring 2024. UCLA is home to the Eta of California chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.