Customer Reviews

True Notebooks: A Writer's Year at Juvenile Hall

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I have always loved Mark Salzman's writing; he brings a deep respect and appreciation of the humanity of his characters to the page. Maybe that sounds easy to do when you're writing about, say, the spiritual life of a cloistered nun, as he did in his recent novel "Lying Awake."

In "True Notebooks," you might think he has taken on too big a task: he wants you to understand and appreciate the imprisoned Los Angeles teenagers he supervises in the "Inside Out Writers" program in LA Central jail. He does this by describing a year or more of biweekly readings of his jailhouse writers group. Inmates come, write, live out the details of their cases, and then, sadly, eventually disappear into the adult justice system.

He doesn't sugarcoat or sentimentalize these kids' stories--he understands and acknowledges the pain their crimes have caused, and he writes about their victims too. But by doing such a marvelous job showing how his subjects grow and change through their experiences, he forces you to see them as real and human. You will be astonished and saddened by the quality of their writing, and hold your own children closer as a result.

I'll admit my expectations were not high when I began this book, but my interest in teaching writing to young people in all situations propelled me forward. I was expecting this to turn into some goopy do-gooder account of letting violent crime youth offenders get in touch with their warm and fuzzy feelings.

I was wrong.

Not wrong because these kids didn't use writing to explore their feelings but wrong because I had preconceptions about how these types of participative journalism/nonfiction accounts often play out. Salzman does something very artful and human with this work -- he gets out of the way and lets the story unfold through the words of the kids he teaches and the people who are charged with their care. It is not until the end that the author begins to explore his part in what is happening.

Salzman's handling of the final third of this book should be required study for any aspiring nonfiction author (or novelist for that matter). You may read it to admire his literary skill or you may simply read it to feel your heart pound a little harder as you appreciate the privilege it is to get to know some of the people in this book through the eyes of an artist.

Salzman's latest is my favorite of his so far. It is not some glossy "To Sir, With Love" or "Dangerous Minds" but a real, insightful glimpse into the world of juvenile delinquents, showing them at their most vulnerable. Their stories (in their own words) are depressing, funny, heart wrenching and violent - but all are brutally honest. Their writings are framed by Salzman's thoughtful and spare prose; without judging these troubled kids he helps us appreciate how they became who they are. It is not a hopeful book, but it does build compassion and understanding, which is much more useful than hope. It is a fantastic book.

TRUE NOTEBOOKS is author Mark Salzman's account of his teaching writing to juvenile offenders in a California youth detention facility. Salzman almost stumbles upon this volunteer opportunity due to a case of writer's block. In the late 1990's, Salzman was at work on a novel that included a juvenile offender and he wanted to make the character more life-like. Salzman hoped that watching a friend teach writing to young prisoners would help, so he went to observe a class. Before he knew it, he was recruited to start a class of his own.

A strength of the book is that Salzman does not jump into the role of a social worker but rather remains a writer throughout the book. At times I was reminded of the writing of Jonathan Kozol. Like Kozol, Salzman brings the people in the book to life and the reader feels an instant connection with them. This includes not only the young offenders, but also the staff of the center, and two staff members he especially admired: Sr. Janet Harris and Mr. Sills. Yet the book is more than a piece of journalism or a stereotypical "year in the life of a juvenile detention facility." Salzman uses his gifts as a writer, gifts demonstrated in his fictional works, which enable the book to flow. Though the book could easily become too sentimental, Salzman steers clear of this temptation. He never has any illusions that he is changing the world, but he does realize that what he does touches young lives. He has sympathy for the young people he works with, but he also realizes that these are young men who have committed very serious crimes, and some of them would do the same thing again. In the end the reader has a better understanding of the way in which writing and sharing our writing can help us connect with our truer selves. Perhaps even more importantly, the book shows the difference we can make when we do reach out to others, knowing that the act of reaching out is what matters most.

It will be easy for some people to push a book like this aside and dismiss it as a somewhat liberal, do-gooder tract, but hopefully this will not happen in too many cases. Teachers and youth workers will probably find this book fascinating. The book could also be a warning to writers who suffer from writer's block: beware-you never know what you could be getting yourself into when you research your works!

Mark Salzman deserves kudos for the honest portrait he has drawn of his time teaching creative writing to inmates in L.A. County's juvenile hall. What I appreciated most about the book is the way it exposes our country's failings toward at-risk youth without being preachy or overbearing. It presents individual situations and allows the reader to draw their own conclusions about what is wrong with the juvenile correction system in America. I am a voracious reader of both fiction and non-fiction, as well as an emotional person, but very, very few books have moved me to tears and laughter, sometimes within a few moments of each other. This one did: it reminded me of how important human connection is to each of us, as well as the power of caring to heal damaged souls. Mr. Salzman was clearly moved by his time with the kids in his class, and it shows in his spare, clean writing about his experiences, as well as his descriptions of the inmates' relationships and methods of communication and self-protection. Included are examples of the writing done by his students; some of them will make you laugh, and some will break your heart. I highly recommend this book.

Read this book if you need to be reminded of the beauty of giving; if you do not believe that society's lost children have anything to offer (you will be enlightened and amazed); if you've forgetten that teachers learn volumes from those whom they teach; if you want to listen to inspiring, complex, heartwrenching, and surprisingly melodic voices; if you need a nudge to "get involoved."; if you want to laugh; if you've lost hope. Read this book.

I discovered Mark Salzman this year when I picked up "Lost in Place" (a hilarious and surprisingly spiritual memoir of his youth) and he has fast become one of my favorite contemporary authors. Unlike his past books, which focus much on Asian culture and philosopy, "True Notebooks" becomes an open-ended social commentary on how we punish child criminals, the prison caste system, and the urban environment that breeds delinquent behaviour. By not focusing on the criminal acts that brought the kids to prison, the kids develop as characters that we truly sympathize with. The many excerpts of the kids' actual writings from the twice-a-week writing sessions that Salzman taught (for several years) isn't impressive at all in it's quality, but it helps us understand how scared and confused they all are beneath their gang and prison fostered bravado. They really are just kids, despite the fact that many of them had murdered someone. As depressing as the situation is, Salzman adds a lot of humor to it and succeeds in really engaging the reader to experience his own first doubts and subsequent devotion to his students. Like all his books, it is a fast read and filled with keen insights and self-deprecating humor. As his third non-fiction work, it is also very satisfying if you've read his earlier work, as some of the past interests we know of Salzman appear in this book (he is still playing the cello and he is in the middle of writing his novel about the nun during the course of this book). I would recommend this book pretty highly although I think his past work is stronger.

Mark Salzman is a wonderful writer whose books grip the reader from start to finish.

It's hard to describe what is so appealing about his books. Salzman's book Iron and Silk has been my favorite book for years. I thought a book about juvenile delinquents might be a disappointment. But in his gentle, totally honest, self deprecating way, Salzman creates a very satifying read. He is a writing teacher in a juvenile facility. To his own surprise, his students use the writing exercises to try to make sense of their lives which have spiraled out of control. Although most of these boys have experienced a lifetime of crime and bad decisions, they cherish the opportunity to express themselves in their writings and develop a bond with their very special teacher. Laugh-outloud humor often takes the reader by surprise. This is a beautiful book that shouldn't be missed.

For fans of Mark Salzman's prose--and they are many--True Notebooks is like a grand homecoming: the spare, elegant prose, the hard-headed wisdom, and the down to earth compassion that characterizes so much of this author's literary corpus--they are all here. But there is more. True Notebooks is so hard to put down ( I read it in two days) because Salzman has dared to enter a realm long fraught with trouble for literaray adventurers, namely prison. Yet Salzman's unforgettable encounters with kid murderers rings true, as does his work with them in his juvenile hall workshops. When I finally put the book down I could not stop thinking about them. The ultimate book group book.

One of the best books I have ever read, certainly the best this year. I feared it might be sentimental or preachy, but Salzman's approach is so fresh, honest, unexpected and funny. Strange to say about a book about juvenile deliquents, but it's totally entertaining. The characters are full and vibrant, and Salzman lets their voices come through in every chapter. The ending is surprising in its impact -- so moving, I couldn't breathe for a moment. I read this book in two sittings. I've liked all of Salzman's books but this may be his finest.