For as long as I can remember, I liked writing stories. In elementary school, they were about tooth fairies and snap bracelets and wrestling buddies. And about how I loved to steal rocks from the neighbor’s front yard and bash them with a hammer to see the crystals inside, which I thought were real crystals and worth bajillions of dollars, so I couldn’t wait to sell them and buy a baseball stadium and a pool and, because I’d be a wise, responsible bijillionaire, I’d invest in baseball cards. Ken Griffey Jr. baseball cards.
Well, Ken Griffey Jr. retired after allegedly falling asleep during his own game. His cards are now worth a few bucks. And those rocks, the ones I stole, the ones with the crystals inside . . . they’re just rocks. So I’m sorta glad those stories didn’t come true, because, honestly, it would suck to lose a bajillion dollars.
Anyway, after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and teaching high school English in Baltimore and the Bronx for seven years, my debut novel, A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE, about a runaway teen with obsessive-compulsive disorder, was released July 5th with Farrar, Straus & Giroux (FSG). Many thanks to my agent, Michelle Andelman of Regal Literary, for helping make this happen.
In my free time, I love exploring new neighborhoods in New York City with my wife, quilting champion Jamie Blackstone, who is a bajillion times more attractive and talented than I am.
*Photo credit to Any Todes for making me look cooler than I really am.
