Author Jonathan Letham's newest novel takes its stories from his childhood. "The Fortress of Solitude," has been critically acclaimed. It follows the adventures of two boys, one black, one white as they grow up in a tough New York neighborhood. The story begins in the late sixties and follows the characters to the present day. As the boys become men, their neighborhood becomes gentrified. Along the way, the boys -- Mingus and Dylan -- learn harsh realities about life, love, popular music - even comic books. Letham told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr the Brooklyn street of his childhood demonstrated the best and the worst of 1960s idealism.