I’m Not Here

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

I’m Not Here

Strange Relatives, a Stranger Boarding School, and the Saving Grace of Art and Love

Jerry Vis

A follow up to his first book, Paterson Boy, this story collection continues the memoir of Jerry Vis, a city kid from Paterson, New Jersey, as he is packed off to a strict, religious boarding school in the rural South of the 1950s.

Jerry is a fish out of water in a place as alien to him as the moon. The strange boarding school is definitely not to his liking nor his character. To complicate matters, his father, who had come in and out of focus in his life, dramatically emerges center stage, bringing a confusing mix of God, religion, and alcohol.

I’m Not Here gives rise to the question: Can art save you? The answer in this uplifting story collection is that maybe it can. That and a little love.

I’m Not Here

I’m Not Here

Related Carol's Posts

Drunk With Language

Dog Stories

Confessions of An American Literature Eater

The Beginning

Leave a Reply Cancel reply