Hole in My Life

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"I find myself moving like a knife, carving my way around people, cutting myself out of their picture and leaving nothing of myself behind but a hole." A gaping hole of misery is what popular young adult author Jack Gantos remembers when he thinks back to 1972, "the bleakest year of my life." Just 20 years old, Gantos was in a medium security prison for his participation in a get-rich-quick drug scam. Scared silly by the violence he saw around him daily, Gantos's only lifeline was a battered copy of The Brothers Karamazov, which he painstakingly turned into an impromptu journal by scratching his own thoughts into the tiny spaces between the lines. There, he recorded both his fears and his dream of someday writing a book of his own. Before prison, Gantos had penned a scattered myriad of journals, but had never been able to pull them together into a cohesive narrative. It was during his time behind bars that he found himself growing into a focused, diligent writer who eschewed drugs for the bigger high of watching his words fill the hole once and for all.

Gantos, best known for his award-winning Joey Pigza titles, mines darker material here that is as deeply compelling as his lighter fare. Using short, meaty sentences, Gantos manages to write in a way that dismisses the dubious "romance" of prison, drugs, and "life on the edge" without ever sounding didactic or heavy-handed. Older teens will appreciate his candor and sheer willingness to give them the straight story. Vigorously recommended. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

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 dead-end job. For ten thousand dollars, he recklessly agreed to help sail a sixty-foot yacht loaded with a ton of hashish from the Virgin Islands to New York City, where he and his partners sold the drug until federal agents caught up with them. For his part in the conspiracy, Gantos was sentenced to serve up to six years in prison.

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. 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 short-lived career as a criminal, and his time in prison. But running just beneath the action is the story of how Gantos – once he was locked up in a small, yellow-walled cell – moved from wanting to be a writer to writing, and how dedicating himself more fully to the thing he most wanted to do helped him endure and ultimately overcome the worst experience of his life.

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In the summer of 1971, Jack Gantos was an aspiring writer desperate for adventure, college cash, and a way out of a dead-end job. For ten thousand dollars, he recklessly agreed to help sail a sixty-foot yacht loaded with hashish from the Virgin Islands to New York City, where he and his partners sold the drug until federal agents finally caught up to them in a bust at the Chelsea Hotel. For his part in the conspiracy, the twenty-year-old Gantos was sentenced to serve up to six years in prison. In Hole in My Life, this acclaimed author of over thirty books for young people confronts the period of struggle and confinement that marked the end of his own youth. 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 short-lived career as a smuggler, and his time in prison. But running just beneath the action is the story of how Gantos--once he found himself locked up in a small, yellow-walled cell--moved from wanting to be a writer to writing, and how this newfound dedication helped him endure the worst experiece of his life.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Story.......2007-06-15

Hole in my Life by John Gantos was one of the most compelling reads that I have found in a very long time. Rather then writing just a memoir, his use of musing, self-discovery, and character building create a story that reads as a dripping dramatic novel.
Gantos uses musing in a very smooth manner throughout this novel. His first chapter, and the openings of many other chapters consist of him reflecting on the event past by grabbing the readers attention and foreshadowing towards an unknown future. He also uses musing to bring humor into such terrible situations. For example, when talking about the arrest that brought him to prison, he references about how prisoners have some funny stories about their experiences of "getting caught." By using past and present tense fluently throughout the novel, Gantos transitions through this time in his life in a very well-written re-creation.
The main point that Gantos is trying to make is that throughout these events he went through, he changed from wanting something from his life to taking charge and pursuing his goals. One statement that he commonly uses is that he "needs to stop thinking about being a writer and just be one." It takes him being secluded in jail to realize that the possibilities for him to create a life out of his ambitions are endless.
Rather than using many characters to help describe his personality, Gantos specifically centers on his own thoughts, feelings, and emotions to give the reader an image. The connection the reader feels towards Gantos throughout the novel is based on his descriptions of how places, people, events, and objects have changed him for better or worse. He builds a strong structure of description that changes the feeling of the book from a memoir to a fantastic, story-driven rollercoaster. I couldn't help but feel his sense of anguish as he was thrown into a spiral of tumultuous events.

My Life Reincarnated (Hole in My Life By: Jack Gantos).......2007-05-19

Hole in My Life
By Jack Gantos
"You don't just end up homeless, hung-over, sleeping in your car with all your worldly possessions because you have control of your life." That is one of my favorite quotes from this book, and there are many more, too. Hole in My Life was one of the best books I've ever read alongside Go Ask Alice. One reason is that it is a biography (the author wrote about himself), and another reason is because it connected to my life a whole lot more than I expected it to.
Jack Gantos was an ordinary aspiring writer just trying to get into a nice college. Then one of his friends offered him ten thousand dollars to help crew a boat loaded with smuggled drugs to New York. He has an adventure that looks good for his future, but eventually takes a turn for the worse.
I really liked this book, mostly because of the description the author used and much of the word choices. For example, "...with the needle in my arm and the blood blooming into the syringe..." or when he's explaining his drunken stupors he uses the phrase "power barfed." I love this category of writing and I'm pretty sure I always will and I encourage many of you to read it because you will probably learn many life lessons. Even if you do think you'll never get caught. I used to think that, too.
By: Jaime Erlenbaugh Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

My Life Reicarnated .......2007-05-19

"You don't just end up homeless, hung-over, sleeping in your car with all your worldly possessions because you have control of your life." That is one of my favorite quotes from this book, and there are many more, too. Hole in My Life was one of the best books I've ever read alongside Go Ask Alice. One reason is that it is a biography (the author wrote about himself), and another reason is because it connected to my life a whole lot more than I expected it to.
Jack Gantos was an ordinary aspiring writer just trying to get into a nice college. Then one of his friends offered him ten thousand dollars to help crew a boat loaded with smuggled drugs to New York. He has an adventure that looks good for his future, but eventually takes a turn for the worse.
I really liked this book, mostly because of the description the author used and much of the word choices. For example, "...with the needle in my arm and the blood blooming into the syringe..." or when he's explaining his drunken stupors he uses the phrase "power barfed." I love this category of writing and I'm pretty sure I always will and I encourage many of you to read it because you will probably learn many life lessons. Even if you do think you'll never get caught. I used to think that, too.
By: Jaime Erlenbaugh
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

My Life Reicarnated .......2007-05-19

One of the best book I've read.......2006-12-30

The book "hole in my life" is a fantastic book. I read "hole in my life" in six days and it usually takes me about a month and a half to finish read a book, because when I would read a book, I would read it than put it down, than pick it up again. but "hole in my life" had something different than the other books i've read. "hole in my life" has been one of the most interesting book i've read in a while. The book was so interesting, and enteraining that it kept me gessing. The book also had a bit of adventure to it too.

by:kevin

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A message of help and healing!

A Dad-Shaped Hole in My Heart
H. Norman Wright
Manufacturer: Bethany House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Always Daddy's Girl
Longing for Daddy: Healing from the Pain of an Absent or Emotionally Distant Father
Making Peace with Your Past
Longing for Dad: Father Loss and Its Impact
Making Peace With Your Father

Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

ASIN: 0764200747
Release Date: 2005-07-01

Book Description

"A Dad-Shaped Hole in My Heart" speaks to all women who carry wounds from their dads-including emotional, physical, and spiritual absenteeism. It is relevant for any woman who did not get what she needed from her dad-whether he was in the home or absent from the home. Wright, the author of the #1 bestseller, "Always Daddy's Girl", points women to acceptance of their heavenly Father's love and grace to repair the damage as the author helps them through the healing process.

Customer Reviews:

A message of help and healing!.......2005-07-30

We all know just how important 'dad' is, and how deeply we hurt and how profoundly we are impacted throughout our lives when he isn't there for us, or betrays or disappoints us. So for all the women who carry the burden of the wounds left by fathers who were/are absent physically, emotionally, spiritually or through abuse, please read A Dad-Shaped Hole in My Heart.

Dr. Wright, through narrative, case studies (stories), survey/assessment, scripture and written exercises helps daughters bring to the forefront their experiences and disappointments with their fathers - in order to resolve them and be healed.

I found the chapters on fatherless daughters (physically or emotionally absent or abusive) to be particularly powerful. The symptoms are worth reading to see if they fit you or someone you love. The chapter on daughters of divorce and the Adult Child of Divorce Characteristics (ACOD) is a must read. Then ask yourself, do I fit into any of these characteristics? No doubt any daughter of divorce will see themselves in some of the nine traits.

But it is the chapters on grieving absent fathers, facing the past and how to change your relationship with your dad that is so compelling. But the most important chapter is about God as your real father-God, the father who loves you unconditionally and has been and will always be there for you.

I believe that this book will be helpful not only to daughters but to their fathers as well. Daughters read the book and prayerfully follow the suggestions. Dads, read the book, see yourself and learn how to change and help heal that "dad-shaped hole" in your daughter's heart. Armchair Interviews recommends this book as a significant and helpful resource.

A hole in my heart: Thoughts on life, love, and loss

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A hole in my heart: Thoughts on life, love, and loss
Charlene Fontaine
Manufacturer: Hole in MY Heart Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1878305069

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Hole In My Life
Jack Gantos
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus And Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J62XQE

Skipping Through Life ...With a Hole in My Shoe

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Skipping Through Life ...With a Hole in My Shoe
Loretta Masi
Manufacturer: Paw Prints, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PCNM9Y

There's A Hole In My Chest: Healing & Hope for Adult Children Everywhere

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This book teaches you how to grow up before you grow old!!!

There's A Hole In My Chest: Healing & Hope for Adult Children Everywhere
William Jarema
Manufacturer: The Crossroad Publishing Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Customer Reviews:

This book teaches you how to grow up before you grow old!!!.......1999-01-28

I have attended several of William Jarema's seminars-I have always come away with many gifts from them and grew from each experience. I share my new knowledge and new insights with other's in recovery from their wounds--I have been on a self help and healing journey --- I find this book sums it all up in a very simple language. He is a brillant man who shares his wisdom and experience wisely ---This book should be a pre-requisite for becoming parents--If we do not heal our own wounds, they get handed down from generation to generation. If you want to heal yourself--read this book!!!!!!!!!

Jack Gantos Hole in My Life.(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article): An article from: The Horn Book Magazine

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Jack Gantos Hole in My Life.(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article): An article from: The Horn Book Magazine
Christine M. Heppermann
Manufacturer: Horn Book, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Horn Book Magazine, published by Horn Book, Inc. on May 1, 2002. The length of the article is 650 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Jack Gantos Hole in My Life.(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article)
Author: Christine M. Heppermann
Publication: The Horn Book Magazine (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2002
Publisher: Horn Book, Inc.
Volume: 78 Issue: 3 Page: 345(1)

Article Type: Book Review, Young Adult Review, Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Definitions: Hole in My Life
Jack Gantos
Manufacturer: Definitions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OH070W

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Hole in My Life
Michael L. Printz Honor , and Sibert Honor
Manufacturer: Listening Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Biographies & Memoirs | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
ASIN: 0307286037

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Hole in My Life
Jack Gantos
Manufacturer: Listening Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000Q8QS2K

Book Description

Volume 3 illuminates Marshall's evolving relationships with President Roosevelt and his selection of such commanders.

Book Description

In the spring of 2004, human rights activist Kathy Kelly, twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, was sent to Pekin Federal Prison for leading a protest at the School of the Americas. While in prison, Kelly's organization, Voices in the Wilderness, was targeted by a US State Department lawsuit charging that Kelly violated US-imposed sanctions when she took humanitarian aid to Iraq during numerous visits over the last five years.

In this fiercely eloquent book, Kelly recounts such trips to Iraq, tells the largely unknown story of the School of the Americas and describes daily life inside a federal prison, where America's poor are warehoused. Like Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail, Kelly's powerful narrative gives voice to the unheard millions suffering at home and abroad.

Customer Reviews:

Powerful.......2007-05-26

Kathy Kelly and her fellow volunteers at VitW have shown that pacifism is not passive. With bravery and selflessness, they have shown compassion for all human beings, and worked hard to sound the cry for justice from the poor and the ignored.

I firmly believe that Kelly and the rest of the tireless workers at Voices in the Wilderness deserve recognition for their heroism and dedication.

While corporate elitists and politicians waiver to special interest constantly lie to the world and stir the public towards violent and belligerent action, Kelly is a modern-day David bravely confronting Goliath despite the threat of (and actual sentencing to) prison time.

Her book infuriated me, and made me see with clarity that I am in the wrong fight, and fighting it the wrong way. One question that I have for myself after reading this: "Do I have the guts to stand up for human dignity and justice despite the threat of abuse and imprisonment?".

Whether its the Military Industrial Complex that Eisenhower warned us against, or the Industrial Prison Complex that steals lives and money while only making the situation worse instead of being a productive solution to any problem, Kathy Kelly has seen first hand that our nation is and has been treading down the wrong path at a high rate of speed.

Will you open your eyes to reality? Education and awareness can do wonders for society.

a powerful testament of courage by a catholic worker hera.......2006-03-24

Kathy Kelly, a two-time nominee for the Nobel Peace prize, powerfully documents the horrific effects of US military and economic intervention in the Middle East and Latin America. Like all the CounterPunch titles being published by AK Press, this is a necessary read. Kelly's compassion and commitment to peace and social justice shine through on every page. It's a shame that Kelly has not yet won the Nobel Peace prize, when such right-wing nutcases like Kissinger, Rabin and Mother Teresa have. (To learn more about Mother Teresa, read Christopher Hitchen's wonderful book, "The Missionary Position", written when he was still somewhat of a leftist.) It's a shame too that Kelly, who exemplifies the true gospel message, is relatively unknown outside of the peace movement, unlike Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, who instead of preaching peace, preach war, who instead of preaching love, preach homophobia, racism and sexism. (Just look at the connections between evangelical Christians and the Israeli war machine and the efforts of Christian fundamentalists to undermine the Chavez administration in Venezuela!) While I am not myself religious, I nevertheless honor Kelly's courage and solidarity with the poor, as I honor also the thousands of radical nuns and priests who've been tortured and disappeared in Latin America. Like Jesus said, "Blessed be the peacemakers." Anyone interested in 21st century liberation theology, the Catholic Worker movement, and post-1960s' peace and justice activism, look no further. With humility and deep concern for the weakest, poorest, and most oppressed of our sisters and brothers, Kelly speaks like a modern day reincarnation of Dorothy Day.

On the ground, trying to show us the reality of war and sanctions........2005-12-11

From Letters from Iraq, 4/15/03, Other Hearts
"We joked that he could direct the telephone exchange as he tinkered with our satellite phone's solar powered battery. I told Majid we has some sheet music and a guitar for him. 'What are notes?' he said, 'We don't even remember.'"...

"'Please, ' Majid said, 'we will give you the instruments, give you the furniture, but don't destroy the music, the records, the history.' 'No, ' the armed men said. 'Baghdad is finished.' They ransacked the school, broke many instruments, burnt the music and the records."....

"'Here,'Hisham said,'listen to this. This is all we have left.' He handed me headphones borrowed from a Norwegian television correspondent. The taped orchestra was playing "O Finlandia". Listening to the children craft their music, I softly sang the words: "This is my song, O God of all the nations. A song of peace for lands afar and mine. This is my home, the country where my heart is. Here are my dreams,my hopes, my holy shrine. But other hearts in other lands are beating, with hopes and dreams as deep and true as mine." Then I stopped. Hisham had begun to cry."

(Joan Baez's newest CD begins with this song. It's truly beautiful.)

Kathy Kelly and other members of Voices in the Wilderness are listening to the hopes and dreams of other lands as they stand in witness with the people whose lives have been severely impacted by our country's policies and actions.

Kathy Kelly writes with an easy style without accusations or stridency about inaction to the injustice she has witnessed. She tells her experiences in Iraq and in prison and shares the stories of the people she has met in her journey.

She tells her story and waits for the numbers of the Voices in the Wilderness to grow, and grow.

A True American Hero.......2005-08-18

Kathy Kelly is a true American hero. Not only is she willing to put her life on the line for her ideals, she's also a genuine voice of peace in a time of conflict and war. I think it would be hard for anyone to walk away from this book and not feel empathy for those that have suffered at the hands of US foreign policy. The right-wing doesn't like the Kellys of the world. They'd rather sit back and breath in the smoke of propaganda puffed out by Republican spin machines. But Kelly doesn't inhale. She's articulate and honest. She's hopeful, but realistic. If there were more Americans like Kelly out there, willing to sacrifice it all for a better tomorrow, the United States would not be as hated or despised as it is today. Indeed Kelly truly is the anti-terrorist. Buy this book and take it home.

Makes me want to be a human rights activist.......2005-08-13

The author is supposed to be a human rights activist. But she sure doesn't seem that way to me. This book does make me want to become a human rights activist, however, if only to try to counter some of the damage people like Kathy Kelly are doing.

I think it is a good question to ask if we Americans are behaving properly in Iraq. Especially from the standpoint of human rights. We surely could use some sensible advice. But Kelly is not the one to provide it.

One test I give Kelly is what she says about the Israeli attack on the terrorists in Jenin in April, 2002. Israel went out of its way to use ground troops, incurring more casualties in an effort to reduce the number of civilian casualties. The Israeli doves were successful in convincing Israel to take this approach. And that makes this a true test: if Kelly can't find a way to praise this, she's no supporter of human rights.

Anyway, the author flunks this test completely, writing dishonestly about Jenin and even going so far as to blast America for permitting Israel to defend itself against terrorism. If she's going to cheer for anti-American terrorists and mislead us about what is happening, I think we have little reason to trust her advice.

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