Description
These aren't your typical teacher stories. In the living and breathing world of brick, glass and glue sticks, we want our teachers to leave their real livestheir darknesses, their longings, their secrets and desiresback at their desks and locked in their lockers in the faculty room. But this is Bob Boone's school. There is no safe place here for the containment of these things. The best Boone's characters can do is take off their jackets at the door, empty the pockets of their pantstheir shreds and crumplings, their histories and regret, their hearts and longingsstuff it all in the pockets and sleeves of their jackets, drape their coats over the backs of their chairs, and just like the rest of us, cross their fingers and pray to God that nothing falls out before the bell rings. -Billy Lombardo, Author, 'The Man with Two Arms', Recipient of the 2011 Nelson Algren Award for the Short Story
The stories are wonderful and beautifully written, with insights into the interior of a parallel, minimalist universe of the everyday. What makes these stories ultimately so arresting is how they capture the quiet, unspoken fears, the normalcy of unfinished relationships, and the inner strength it takes to face each day. The quietness of the stories belies their energy and the resilience of the characters which becomes a moving celebration of the human spirit. -Milos Stehlik, Critic for Worldview on WBEZ/Chicago Public Radio
Bob Boone gives us an insider's view into the world of Forest High. These stories are spare, terse and capture the quirkiness of characters and circumstance utterly consistent with the world of schoolsa world where, as Boone well knows, every story implies another. An astute observer, Bob Boone writes with humor, compassion and insight. -Larry Starzec, Fiction Editor, 'Willow Review', Professor of English at College of Lake County
Implicit in these tales are basic human questions: what does it mean to be a good teacher or a good person? What, for that matter, is meant by the phrase 'good school'? In this age of standardized tests and the relentless attempt at quantifying students and teachers alike, Bob's stories offer a refreshingly human portrayal of his characters. He never fails to see the comedy in the conflict between the conventional and unconventional, and he portrays his characters with nothing less than a sympathetic eye. In these stories, Bob always looks beyond the Forest to the individual trees. -John O'Connor, Author, 'Wordplaygrounds', Teacher at New Trier High School
About the Author
Bob Boone started teaching in 1964. He has taught in Staten Island, Germany, Highland Park, and Chicago. In 1991, he founded Young Chicago Authors to provide opportunities for young writers from the city.
He has written several textbooks, a teaching memoir, and a sports biography. This is his first work of fiction.
He lives in Glencoe, Illinois, with his wife Sue. He has three children and five grandchildren.
Paperback: 100 pages
Publisher: Amika Press (August 10, 2011)
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches