TRUE+NOTEBOOKS

True Notebooks

True Notebooks, by Mark Salzman, is a moving story of both grief and the happiness of finding oneself. It is a true story about Mark Salzman who is struggling to finish his new book about a nun. There is a character in his story who is a Juvenile offender in Central Juvenile Hall and he cannot seem to get the character right. When he explains his predicament to a fellow writer, Duane Noriyuki, he tells him he teaches a writing class to Juvenile hall. He then asks him if he would like to come to one of his classes to observe what happens. When Mark agrees, with many doubts in mind, they don’t waist anytime. Duane takes him to his class in the HRO unit. He is quiet impressed with the classes writing and their behavior towards Duane. After leaving the class, Sister Jane, tries to convince Mark to start a writing class for the K/L unit (one of the most troubled Juvenile Hall units). After debating with himself for a while he finally decides to try it. And as he gets to know these juvenile delinquents, most of them convicted for murder, the students try to show the world what its really like to grow up with gang pressure and how no one really cares about what happens to them. Mark also has to deal with the fact that when some of his students get convicted for county jail, he will never see them again. So as his writing class goes on, he loses the original 5 kids in his class within a year. Find out what this experience does for Mark and these kids; you will be quiet moved. I would give this book a 9/10! It is very inspiring and can be quiet rediculous at the same time. But true to heart, most of these boys are dying for another chance and the whole time you feel terrrible. Emma Colman