Our Boys Speak. Adolescent Boys Write About Their Inner Lives

180 Pages·2010·0.96 MB·English

by  John Nikkah

For Mom and Dad
Table of Contents Title Page
Acknowledgments
Introduction - At War with Ourselves
Part I - Our Inner Circle
1 - In You We Trust
Chey Pesko, 18, Wantage, New Jersey -
DYSFUNCTIONAL MEDIOCRITY
Joel Ashcraft, 17, Congers, New York -
THE GAME
Jason, 15, California - AMERICA THE
BEAUTIFUL
Mike Grohsman, 17, Lodi, New Jersey -
JUNKYARD
Dave Langley, 17, Mt. Prospect, Illinois -
MY DAD’S TRIPPY PSYCHEDELIC
ROOM
Jeffrey A. Dussich, 18, Manhasset, New
York - 13 TO 40
Anonymous, 17, Ukiah, California - THE
HARD SIDE OF LIFE
Robert, 18, Redwood Valley, California
2 - Sharing a Room
Jeremy Turnage 16, Beaufort, North
Carolina - ADAM
Andrew Huang, 16 (13 at time of
writing), Lebanon, New Jersey - A
POISONED FAMILY
Anonymous, 17, Ocean, New Jersey -
CHANGE
Brian Hedge, 17, Jacksonville, Florida
3 - To Friendship
Felix Flores 15, Winter Haven, Florida -
TO AN OLD FRIEND
Anonymous, 17, Florida - WAITING
FOR A MIRACLE
Michael Marino, Jr., 15, Valhalla, New
York - YEAH SURE I’M YOUR
FRIEND
Joshua Goodbaum, 17, Madison,
Connecticut - SEEING EDDY
SEAWELL
Matthew Thompson, 18, Ocean, New
Jersey - FAR FROM HOME
David Sherman, 14, New City, New York
- RESTLESS AFTERNOON
Eric A. Deleel, 16, Massena, New York -
UP IN SMOKE
John Heath, 18, Madison, Connecticut -
BEST BUDS AND BLOOD BROTHERS
Edward Kim, 17, Manhasset, New York -
TWO KIDS ON A FOOTBALL FIELD
Chris Chambers-Ju, 18, Redwood City,
California - IN THE WOODS
4 - First Love
Ryan Bis, 16, Toms River, New Jersey -
SOMEONE TO SHARE
Ryan Gardner, 15, Castro Valley,
California - THE LETTER
Zach Reed, 15, Soquel, California - I’M
SORRY
David Winsor, 16, Ponte Vedra Beach,
Florida - ME, MYSELF, AND HER
Anonymous, 17, Pennsylvania - GO ON
AND LOVE
Part II - Our World
5 - School Ties
Tom Meyer, 14, Valhalla, New York - BATTLE ZONE
Kyle L. Marquardt, 16, Cedar Rapids, Iowa - THE PLAY
Christopher Luyt, 17, Florida - WHY CAN’T WE REACH OUT?
Tim Larson, 18, Fargo, North Dakota
Andrew T. Zatz, 17, New City, New York
6 - Toy Soldiers
Blair Williams, 18, Tallahassee, Florida - THE WAR
Matthew Richter, 14, Elk Grove, California
Dave Bove, 17, Ocean, New Jersey - TABLETOP COMMANDER
Ryan Armstrong, 15, Aurora, Colorado - A LESSON FOR MR.
PERRY
Richard Jackson, Congers, New York
7 - Free to Be
Jason Longo, 17, Manhasset, New York - REFLECTIONS ON THE
YARDS
Daniel J. Klotz, 17, Jacobus, Pennsylvania - VULNERABLE
Kevin Naber, 16, Fort Wayne, Indiana - FEELINGS, BELIEFS
Kyle Jones, 14, California - TWO WORLDS
Brent Garrett, 18, Rougemont, North Carolina. - ASSUMPTIONS
MAKE …
Drew Bennett, 18, Colorado Springs, Colorado - A GIRAFFE IS
WHAT I WANT TO BE
8 - Escaping into Oblivion
Armando Fragoso, 14, Douglas, Arizona - TOXIC SHOCK
Chris Schmader, 17, Hillsborough, North Carolina - NO LAUGHING
MATTER
Ryan, 17, Chowchilla, California - ASHES TO ASHES
Noah Furman, 15, Evanston, Illinois - JOURNALING AN
ADDICTION
Matt Meacham, 16, Suburb in the Northeast - THE WRONG TEAM
Adam Grower, 17, Buford, Georgia - CAIN
Anonymous, 16, City in the Southeast - RECYCLED MINDS
Ryan G. Frazier, 17, Whitman, Massachussetts - MY PERFECT
WISH
9 - Outside Looking In
Michael McAvoy, 18, Madison, Connecticut - FLYING INTO THE
STARS
Brian Marion, 16, Niskayuna, New York - MY LIFE IN 3,000
WORDS OR LESS
Jeremiah Bingham, 18, Los Alamos, New Mexico
Matt Tupps, 14, Bucyrus, Ohio
Brad Oberlander, 15, Bucyrus, Ohio
Ryan Kelley, 18, Ekron, Kentucky - A NOTE AND A SCAR
Part III - Our Selves
10 - Playing to Win
Charlie Stein, 16, Great Neck, New York - A QUARTERBACK’S
PERSPECTIVE FROM THE FIELD, NOT THE SIDELINES
Jason Crayne, 17, New City, New York
Phillip Dawkins, 14, Elk Grove, California - BLINK OF AN EYE
Adam Levine, 17, New City, New York - THOSE SUMMER NIGHTS
Atif Zohair Qadir, 17, East Patchogue, New York - A RUNNING
SONNET
Kevin J. DeAnna, 16, Cedar Grove, New Jersey - REFLECTIONS OF
A RUNNER
Salvatore A. Leo, 16, Johnstown, New York - NIPPLE STADIUM
11 - Gone Too Soon
Tim Dale, 18, Ukiah, California - BED OF ROSES
Gaelan Baillie, 15, Niagara Falls, New York - A LOSS, BUT A GAIN
Joseph Anderson, 17, Tallahassee, Florida - TIME COUNTS
12 - Song of Sorrow
Richard Ford, 17, Palo Alto, California - I FEEL SO DAMN
DEPRESSED
Dolan Williams, 17, Phoenix, Arizona
Dan Fitzgerald, 17, Valhalla, New York - SLEEP TIGHT
13 - Between Worlds
Vinh Do, 17, Santa Ana, California - MY GREATEST CHALLENGE
Clayton Lee, 18, Ukiah, California
Justin Lock, 18, Highland Park, Illinois - COURTING THE
FARMER’S DAUGHTER
Mikela Jones, 18, Redwood Valley, California - MY NATIVE
WARRIOR
Epilogue
About the Authors
Copyright Page
Acknowledgments
This book could not have been written without the foresight and dedication of
my editor, Joe Veltre. Another person whose help and commitment I couldn’t
have done without is Leah Furman, who worked alongside me from beginning to
end. I would also like to thank my agent, Giles Anderson, for having faith in my
ability to get the job done. Mira Furman and Elina Furman should also be
credited for lending a helping hand with the mailings and transcriptions. Their
help was invaluable.
I would also like to thank my friends Mitch Rovner and Bobby Piñero, whose
advice I could always count on, and especially my parents, whose support
throughout my life has helped me achieve things I never thought possible.
Finally, I would like to thank all of the boys who contributed to the book, and
the teachers who took time out of their busy schedules to encourage their
students to express themselves.
Introduction