True Notebooks by Mark Salzman
This was the true story of journalist Mark Salzman's journey into the Los Angeles County juvenile Hall system; and how he joined and sponsored a creative writing program for the juvenile offenders there. In Mr. Salzman's book, he provided selected writings from the students in his class.
Reading the book brought me back to my own time at juvenile hall. I remember how scared, lonely, lost, and unsure of my own sense of self I was. Instead of finding a true sense of identity, I adapted and conformed to the distorted ideals of my peers at that time. I never once looked back until almost twenty years later to see the wreckage I had left in my wake: the life of a human being wiped off the face of this earth and numerous others shattered by pain and irrevocable loss.
Mr. Salzman did a great job capturing the hearts and minds of these young teenagers by having them express themselves through writing. I have found my own sense of solace through my journals and can easily relate to how therapeutic writing can be. One of my many regrets is not exploring my own issues earlier in my life.
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