Larry Stewart

Bacchanalian Romp Larry Stewart

The story opens in 1962 a few miles south of San Francisco. Brian Conners, a freshman in college, majoring in cartoon animation and drama, has just broken up with his girlfriend of 3 years. Brian meets Lee Thorndyke at an 8AM creative writing class. Lee invites Brian to a Mung City party at his parents' house in the posh town of Hillsborough. Several hundred bacchanalian and maenad party mongers, wearing togas, sarongs, buskins and wreaths were dancing the Dipsomania Shuffle in the street. They all looked professional. After looting vintage wines from a cabana bar, Brian recites some gibberish poetry and is admitted into Mung City, being granted the honorary title of Silenus, a companion to the god of wine, Dionysus. From high up in a tree at a Tarzan and Jane party, wearing furry breeches, Brian spots Nicole. Brian has his first date with the girl of his dreams, Nicole. Watching Nicole and two of her girlfriends perform Beethoven's Opus 56 in C major at a church in San Mateo, Brian falls madly in love with Nicole. Nicole and Brian, and another couple encounter a horrifying storm on the way to Clearlake for some serious water skiing competition. The road is too dangerous to continue so they check into a motel. Lying in bed together becomes a delightful habit until they get busted by Nicole's mother at Brian's cottage, two houses away from Nicole's house. They are caught again, dancing in their underwear aboard Nicole's parents' yacht by her father. Nicole attends a Mung City bash for the first time. The maenads are dressed as flapper molls and the bacchanalians are dressed as mobsters. Lee and 3 of his good friends strap on electric guitars and perform the rock opera ballet Bacchanalian Romp. Nicole and her bitch friend find a girl stashed inside a closet in Brian's cottage. With the help of his good friends, Brian manages to convince Nicole that it was sheer happenstance. Nicole takes Brian to her sacred hideaway,