August 5, 2012

Dad...Again tells the story of a young boy's difficulty in accepting his father's hospitalization in a mental ward. In part, it is Allen's memories of that time back in 1999, when Ron had a mental breakdown and spent the summer at Friends Hospital in Philadelphia. Little did we know it was only the first steps in a journey that would take us on a long, long road. Along the way, there would be a serious car accident, long hospitalizations and surgeries, therapists and psychistrists, and two suicide attempts. In continuing work on Dad...Again, I am reliving those moments. Last night, I wrote of the first time Jake, Allen's alias in the book, visits his father. Recalling the path we followed from the administration building to Turk Hall, where Ron was housed, brought back the memories I have long surpressed. I promised myself I would do it this time, relive it all, tell it all, so that others could be helped. My only purpose is to show others that they, too, can survive a devastating change in life.

My summer has been busy with writing! I have finished the final edits to Surviving College: The Adults Only Guide and the print copies should be available this week. How exciting to see my name in print! Of course, all of my students at Springfield want to buy a copy and have me autograph it. A student in my Advanced College Skills class yesterday suggested I write a second book in the series, called "Surviving College: Learning from Your Professor". He said that not all professors have an interactive teaching style such as mine, and he thinks I could give students some hints on how to learn from all of them. He may be right!

I expect to finish Dad...Again sometime in September. I'll keep you all posted!