A Comedy and a Tragedy: A Memoir of Learning How to Read and Write

Author Culley (The Immortal Class: Bike Messengers and the Cult of Human Power) recounts his difficult childhood in 1980s Miami in this heartfelt memoir. He was the youngest son of an abusive father and an emotionally absent mother. At age eight, Culley is struggling with reading and writing, and his father refers to him as “stupid”; the creative, unusual boy is sent to a religious summer camp where he is sexually abused. Returning with this dark secret, Culley withdraws and makes no further progress in reading. His parents and educators alike fail to address his poor grades, until his sixth-grade music teacher recognizes his latent capabilities and encourages him to apply to an art school for gifted students. There, Culley begins to read and is eventually admitted to high school at the New World School of the Arts, where he blossoms and learns the value of literacy and its importance in telling and validating one’s story. Though the memoir reveals the torment of a troubled and illiterate childhood, Culley eventually begins to probe and heal the wounds of his past through journal writing. This tale of struggle, survival, and triumph addresses the inner lives of children and the grave responsibility of adults to ensure that their voices are heard. Readers will readily warm to the story of a bright, illiterate boy who is destined to become a lauded writer. Agent: John Ware, John Ware Literary. (July) [em] [/em]