In the summer of 1971, jack gantos was an aspiring writer looking for adventure, cash for college tuition, and a way out of a deadend job. Teenage readers will appreciate jack gantoss frankness in his jail memoir, hole in my life, says keith gray. Dead end in norvelt, winner of the newbery medal and the. The reason why i chose the book hole in my life by jack gantos because it is a true story and shows the life choices that will screw your life over and the life choices that you should take so you stay on the right track and dont screw yourself over when you choose wrong. Additionally, several standards in social studies may. They had to carry drugs and they had ran into some casualties and they had to get around them. In 1971 jack gantos was scraping through his final year of high school. Jack was in prison for smuggling marijuana from st. Printz award and the same year became a winner of the robert f. He uses the same bold honesty found in his fiction to offer a riveting. Jack gantos conclussion i think that hole in my life was a good book. In the summer of 1971, jack gantos was an aspiring writer looking for adventure, cash for college tuition, and a. David allan coe if that aint country part 2 official live video duration.
September 2004 gantos is an awardwinning childrens author, but his compelling autobiography will appeal to readers of all ages. Hole in my life by jack gantos the prisoner in the photograph is me. May have been a little boring at times when he was in prison and on the boat but an overall good book with meaning. In the early 1970s, the future didnt look very bright for the 20yearold gantos, who was arrested for his involvement in a drug smuggling scheme and. These folks zigged when the rest of the world zagged. This 40page guide for hole in my life by jack gantos includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 16 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis.
His parents had moved to st croix in the virgin islands, but he was. Becoming a writer the hard wayin the summer of 1971, jack gant. Some thirty years ago gantos dreamed of becoming a writer a dream that seemed farfetched as he was cash poor and a drone in a job that was going nowhere. Hole in my life is a gripping account of his incarceration, written with unsparing honesty.
I was twentyone years old and had been locked up for a year already the bleakest year of my life and i had more time ahead of me. Hole in my life offers teachers the chance to utilize a text that is non. Hole in my life quotes showing 14 of 4 someone once said anyone can be great under rosy circumstances, but the true test of character is measured by how well a. There are, however, two stories told in this riveting narrative. Jack gantos the author relates how, as a young adult, he became a drug user and smuggler, was arrested, did time in prison, and eventually got out and went to college, all the while hoping to become a writer. The book then goes on to provide an indepth examination of the sensitive and intelligent boy. On the surface, the narrative tumbles from one crazed moment to the next as gantos pieces together the story of his restless final year of high school, his shortlived career. Jack gantos in the summer of 1971, jack gantos was an aspiring writer looking for adventure, cash for college tuition, and a way out of a deadend job.
For ten thousand dollars, he recklessly agreed to help sail a sixtyfoot yacht loaded with a ton of hashish from the virgin islands pdf to new york city, where he. To inquire about borrowing multiple copies of hole in my life for your book club, please inquire at 8472445150 x3005. Drawing from his own experiences, gantos hole in my life has inspired hope in many readers. Conflict man vs man man vs self another person he is always having. In hole in my life, this prizewinning author of over thirty books for young people confronts the period of struggle and confinement that marked the end of his own youth. After penning a number of novels for preteens, including the joey pigza books and the jack series, gantos makes a smooth transition as he addresses an older audience. Hole in my life quotes showing 14 of 4 someone once said anyone can be great under rosy circumstances, but the true test of character is measured by how well a person makes decisions during difficult times. From my cell window i could see a line of houses in the distance. The first is of a gallant british woman struggling to make sense of a world turned upside down by symptoms that she cannot understand in her case scds. Audiobook narrator barbara rosenblat all but my life klein duration. I can recommend this book as far as a scare them straight book for kids headed down the wrong path, but while it could have been much worse, the prison rape and homosexuality content is distubing in my opinion. Becoming a writer the hard way in the summer of 1971, jack gantos was an.
For ten thousand dollars, he recklessly agreed to help sail a sixtyfoot yacht loaded with hashish from the virgin islands to new york city, where he and his partners. Its also a hopeful narrative of one mans ability to overcome early obstacles and achieve success despite the odds. In hole in my life, this prizewinning author of over thirty books for young people confronts the period of struggle and confinement that marked. Mar 26, 2002 the book hole in my life was the book i read and it was good. A memoir, by turns harrowing and hilarious, about a huge mistake. May 26, 2016 a hole in my life battling chronic dizziness, by philippa thomson is a must read for anyone with unexplained dizziness.
Part 1, chapter 1, page 7 gantos recalls his father saying this to him when gantos is a child. Jack gantos was a troubled teenager who could not set his priorities straight. The answer that changed my life and might just change the world by richard stearns and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The book hole in my life is an autobiography of jack gantos life in prison and what lead up to it. All week the people had been putting up halloween decorations. Jul 22, 2003 in hole in my life, this acclaimed author of more than 30 books for young people confronts the period of struggle and confinement that marked the end of his own youth. Gantos was a young man with little supervision who led a life that involved many moves and opportunities. Hole in my life paperback tattered cover book store. In hole in my life, this prizewinning author of over thirty books for young. Hole in my life is the autobiographical story of jack gantos during his younger years.
On the surface, the narrative tumbles from one intense moment to the next as gantos pieces together the story of his restless final year of high school, his shortlived career as. In section 1, chapter 4, gantos found himself inspired by jack kerovacs novel on the road. Hole in my life by jack gantos n the summer of 1971, jack gantos was an aspiring writer looking for adventure, cash for college tuition, and a way out of a deadend job. Popular childrens book author and national book award finalist, jack gantos, now offers a compelling story taken from his own life.
Feb 11, 2005 hole in my life by jack gantos 224pp, red fox. A hole in my life battling chronic dizziness, by philippa thomson is a must read for anyone with unexplained dizziness. This study guide consists of approximately 32 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of hole in my life. Becoming a writer the hard way in the summer of 1971, jack gantos was an aspiring writer looking for adventure, cash for college tuition, and a way out of a deadend job. It is appropriate that we should hear this in his voice. Jack gantos has written books for people of all ages, from picture books and middlegrade fiction to novels for young adults and adults.
Publishers weekly feb 25, 2002 after penning a number of novels for preteens, including the joey pigza books and the jack series, gantos makes a smooth transition as he addresses an older audience. The book hole in my life is a memoir of jack gantos life. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. His works include hole in my life, a memoir that won the michael l.
They had came to a stopping point and it was restricted waters so they had to leave and they didnt so they just got on land and ran away from them. The book starts with a young teenager, named jack, who dreams of one day becoming a famous writer. Sibert honors, joey pigza swallowed the key, a national book award finalist, joey pigza loses control, a newbery honor book, and dead end in norvelt, winner of. In hole in my life, this acclaimed author of more than 30 books for young people confronts the period of struggle and confinement that marked the end of his own youth. Hole in my life is a 2003 bank street best childrens book of the year. Title of a book, article or other published item this will display to the public. His book the trouble in me is an autobiographical novel about a fourteenyearold jack gantos, and his book dead end in novelt won the newbery medal, the scott odell award for historical fiction. Hole in my life by jack gantos is a story of one young mans struggle to become a writer.
The photo was taken in 1972 at the mediumsecurity federal correctional institution in ashland, kentucky. In the summer of 1971, jack gantos was an aspiring writer desperate for adventure, college cash, and a way out of a deadend job. This was a life quite unlike those of many other children. Sibert honors, joey pigza swallowed the key, a national book award finalist, joey pigza loses control, a newbery honor book, and dead end in norvelt, winner of the. Hole in my life is an american autobiography of jack gantos and was published by macmillan publishers in 2002. The book hole in my life was the book i read and it was good.
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