Show Them You're Good 8/18
Show Them You're Good: Four Boys and the Quest for College
My new book, Show Them You're Good, is a work of nonfiction that follows a group of senior boys through their last year of high school at both Beverly Hills High School (in, clearly, Beverly Hills) and Animo Pat Brown High School (in South Los Angeles, 83rd and Beach St).
The braided narratives encompass challenges specific to each individual (a mother's chronic illness, applying for DACA, eviction, sports), others that are specific to this particular passage in life (applying to college and paying for it, over- and under-parenting, adult and societal hypocrisy, school days that are at once mundane and high stakes), and some challenges that are absolutely timeless (racism, classism, romance, family, resilience and its power and elusiveness).
But it's ultimately just these young people in very different spaces and circumstances working pretty hard, dealing with very real stuff at home, laughing a lot when they can, striving to figure out what sets their brains on fire and how to make their way forward while learning that the world is a hard, messy, wondrous, often absurd place that doesn't roll over for anyone.
It was a really meaningful project for me -- a hard but ultimately uplifting one. I'm grateful to know these kids, and I hope their stories might touch a few of you during this moment we're all in.
I'll be speaking with some pretty wonderful writers and thinkers about the work this week on Mon, Tues, and Thurs (it's confusing but do note the time zones):
West Coast: Monday, 8/17, 6:00 pm (PST) with LA Times columnist Steve Lopez, sponsored by Vromans. https://www.crowdcast.io/e/show-them-...
East Coast: Tuesday, 8/18, 7:00 pm (EST) with author Will Schwalbe, sponsored by Brookline Booksmith. https://www.brooklinebooksmith.com/ev...
West Coast redux: Thursday, 8/20, 7:00 pm (PST) with author Helen Thorpe, sponsored by Third Place Books. https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event...
Regardless, I hope everyone is healthy and hanging in there. Thank you again. It means a lot.
Sincerely, Jeff
My new book, Show Them You're Good, is a work of nonfiction that follows a group of senior boys through their last year of high school at both Beverly Hills High School (in, clearly, Beverly Hills) and Animo Pat Brown High School (in South Los Angeles, 83rd and Beach St).
The braided narratives encompass challenges specific to each individual (a mother's chronic illness, applying for DACA, eviction, sports), others that are specific to this particular passage in life (applying to college and paying for it, over- and under-parenting, adult and societal hypocrisy, school days that are at once mundane and high stakes), and some challenges that are absolutely timeless (racism, classism, romance, family, resilience and its power and elusiveness).
But it's ultimately just these young people in very different spaces and circumstances working pretty hard, dealing with very real stuff at home, laughing a lot when they can, striving to figure out what sets their brains on fire and how to make their way forward while learning that the world is a hard, messy, wondrous, often absurd place that doesn't roll over for anyone.
It was a really meaningful project for me -- a hard but ultimately uplifting one. I'm grateful to know these kids, and I hope their stories might touch a few of you during this moment we're all in.
I'll be speaking with some pretty wonderful writers and thinkers about the work this week on Mon, Tues, and Thurs (it's confusing but do note the time zones):
West Coast: Monday, 8/17, 6:00 pm (PST) with LA Times columnist Steve Lopez, sponsored by Vromans. https://www.crowdcast.io/e/show-them-...
East Coast: Tuesday, 8/18, 7:00 pm (EST) with author Will Schwalbe, sponsored by Brookline Booksmith. https://www.brooklinebooksmith.com/ev...
West Coast redux: Thursday, 8/20, 7:00 pm (PST) with author Helen Thorpe, sponsored by Third Place Books. https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event...
Regardless, I hope everyone is healthy and hanging in there. Thank you again. It means a lot.
Sincerely, Jeff
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