Look and Listen

Biography

I was born on the mean streets of the Bronx, New York and moved to Brooklyn at age eight. Although experiencing a great family unit, I was never spoon fed by my parents and learned to survive on the streets at a young age. Tremendous athletic ability kept me from a life of crime or getting involved in drugs. I had to turn down a pro-contract at sixteen due to inoperable knee damage(at that time) Going to college and later teaching in a tough neighborhood by age 20, gave me access to all types of violence including seeing three people murdered. Dealing with youth hooked on drugs, having sex, being gang members, although at times only twelve years of age, continued my street education. My desire to try and educate children yet realize that I couldn't change the world, helped me achieve great success in the classroom until I was injured.I've lectured many new teachers to try and win small battls and never,ever think they can can change the entire educational process that is cheating todays youth who just happen to be our greatest resource. It had been my street smarts and my way of dealing with the real world that had made me a successful writer. My readers feel that they are part of my books rather than readers of such. I bring truth, realism and experience to my works and never try to deceive my readers. What you see is what you get; a smart ass street person that is educated and has lived through unfathamable tragedy throughout his life. "My Life in the Trenches" deals with my teaching experience and "The Protege is a crime/mystery/ conspiracy-thriller that will boggle yur imagination! I write under a pen name due to the fact that my life has been threatened on a few occassions due to the content of my works. My third and fourth books will definitely increase these threats. It is also for this reason that I have not put up a picture of myself. I have been blessed with two wonderful children, a great daughter-in-law and two fabulous grandchildren. Since 1981 I have endured numerous operations and proceedures requiring me to be under anesthesia on thirthy-one different occassions. I remain an insulin dependent diabetic who endures chronic pain every second of my life! Unfortunately I cannot enjoy this wonderful world that G-D has bequeathed to us and that so many take for granted. Irrespective of all of the tragedy in my life, I NEVER surrender! I live by two mottos:Whatever is bad today will either be better or a hell of alot worse in two weeks and G-D gives you only as much shit as you can handle!

Inspiration

I must be honest when I say that no author in particular inspired me to write. Being on disability, I had so much free time and endured so much pain, I needed somethng to keep my brain alive and stimulated. It took seven year to write "My Life in the Trenches" since I had no formal writing background and I had ten operations that interrupted this journey. Although well read, I never looked at a writer's techniques, mental thoughts etc. I just read a book for the enjoyment of reading and that is how I write today. I feel the fun of just reading had been lost by today's children and adults. There is nothing wrong about reading something that just interests you! This is what I try to bring to my readers-the love of reading. The fact that I have been injured a greater part of my life has given me the guts and drive to never surrender when I encounter writers block or other deterents making writing even a sentence, appear monumental. As far as "My Life in the Trenches " is concerned I was inspired to write this work because I wanted the people of America to know the truth about education in these United States. It is a sad fact that we are giiving our greatest natural resource, our children, a substandard education. People are so misinformed when the believe the crisis in the communities our children live in stop when they enter the doors of our schools. "Teachers" are graduating and being given liscneces although they have no idea what the hell is going on in a classroon. So many of the education courses they take in college are nothing more than a waste of time and drastic changes must be made! If it wasn't for student teaching, education majors would be totally wasting their time! . I want people to understand that drug use and abuse, crime, pregnancy, gang membership etc, now permeate every school in our country not just those that exist in poorer neighborhoods. I wanted everyone the be aware of the fact that parents, administrators, and power brokers are failing our youth and not just their teachers. In this book I offer real solutions that will help educators overcome the mess they now find themselves immeshed in. These recommendations come from a street person and an extremely successful education rather than some think tank brain-head that has never stepped into a classroom in his/her live. So many books that offer solutions to the problems in education today come from individuals that have never experienced the reality of the field. With me you will get the truth. The truth might make you sick to your stomachs but at least I'm not going to lie to you or make the educational world our children live in seem better than it really is. Our schhols and kids are in trouble and it's time for use to wake up a reftify all of the wrongs and misconceptions that have existed for so long. I want every citizen in this country to read the truth and I will give it to them! Finally, I believe there is a reason for everything. I believe that my life was basically ruined as I knew it so I could inform the people of America about education in our country. I want them to know the truth! I need them to understand the critical phase we find ourselves mired it. We must make changes or we will be remembered as the generation that educationally failed our youth!