Jack Gantos: Crime, Consequences, and a Newbery Comeback

About this episode

Jack Gantos discusses his life experiences, including his time in prison and how storytelling became his lifeline.

Jack Gantos isn’t your typical award-winning author. Before writing the Joey Pigza series, Rotten Ralph, and the Newbery Medal-winning Dead End in Norvelt, he served time in prison for smuggling hashish—a moment he turned into the acclaimed memoir Hole in My Life (a Michael L. Printz Honor and Sibert Honor Book). In this powerful conversation, Gantos opens up about second chances, censorship, ADHD, and how storytelling became his lifeline. Educators and librarians can explore his school visit offerings and presentations at jackgantos.com.

People in this episode

Host: Christopher Lau

Guest: Jack Gantos

Topics covered

• second chances
• censorship
• ADHD
• storytelling
• memoir
• education

Keywords

• Jack Gantos
• memoir
• Newbery Medal
• ADHD
• censorship
• storytelling
• education

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Joey Pigza series, Rotten Ralph, Dead End in Norvelt, Hole in My Life

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