Lessons and Humor in The Brown and White

I once got a school jacket from a neighbor that was old and worn out after it was "advertised" as practically brand new. My mother, although certainly doing her best, added insult to injury by knitting some clothes to go with it.  This is a funny lesson in my book The Brown and White. I have a number of episodes in the book that are funny, but a little painful as well. My life, and I suppose many other people, could be described as funny and painful. 

More than anything else, my book is funny! But when you write humor, it gets a little tricky at times.  I wrote The Brown and White over 40 years and sometimes I looked at things and made changes. My sensibilities changed.

I often think of humor as having no conscience. Things can be funny and cruel; funny and racist; and funny and just wrong. Hitler thought Roosevelt's letter suggesting he leave the rest of Europe alone (after he started his expansionism) as funny. To Hitler and thousands in the audience, Hitler's response was funny. To Roosevelt and most people concerned with Hitler's threats, it was something different all together. 

It occurred to me this morning that several of the incidents I have written about in The Brown and White are not only humorous, but on some level instructive. The instructive stuff is good, but I certainly didn't write the book for its lessons. I wanted people to know the way it was for us back in 1967-1968. And I wanted to give everyone in my past a kind of hug. The book is written for adults, although I do hope it gets a lot of play with young adults.

My book, The Brown and White, examines the life of a Catholic High School freshman who goes through some funny and scary times.  It's a good quick read that is based on fact. I've been working with books by other people for a long time and this is my first book. Maybe I will end up like Carole King, behind the scenes for years and break out into super stardom! Well, I can hope.