Monday, October 12, 2009

Hole in my Life


Many of you probably read a Jack Gantos book in elementary or middle school. Is Joey Pigza a character you know? He is one of Gantos' creations. This book though, tells a real story. It is not one of those cheerful "this is how I became an author" stories.

Jack Gantos spent time in prison. Twenty-year-old Jack tells the story of how he found himself in New York City, fresh off a boat from St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, about to be arrested for smuggling 2000 lbs of hash. As a young man Jack made some poor decisions....the poorest one being that he crewed a boat loaded with drugs.

Jack served 15 months in the federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky. He is honest about his prison experience and certainly doesn't gloss over things. Prison is also the place where he first became a writer and realized his desire was to continue his education.

Try an autobiography, you might like it!

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