THE SAINT I AIN'T by Bobby Johnston - Review & Giveaway
Bobby Johnston's little book, THE SAINT I AIN'T (Fomite) packs a huge message. It took me back to the 1970s, when I attended Catholic School. Bobby attended St. Agnes on Sycamore Street in rust-belt Ohio. I went to St. Lawrence on Montauk Highway in Suffolk County, Long Island.
THE SAINT I AIN'T is a first person narrative that is humorous, but heartbreaking at the same time. It's a compilation of short stories, that read like poems without any pretention. Bobby is "sentenced to serve kindergarten through eighth grade" at St. Agnes. His was one of many "families drowning in quicksand" living paycheck to paycheck. He wanted to "sustain long enough (in Ohio) to escape circumstances before they consumed him."
No book about growing up Catholic is complete without the nuns. According to Bobby, "the nuns who taught and tyrannized us at St. Agnes School went downhill from day one of first grade." It was the same at St. Lawrence. We were either considered a "liar, thief or quitter." Attending daily mass and confession were huge. Getting a gig as an altar boy was pretty cool. There were no altar girls in those days.
Bobby Johnston is a musician. I'd love to hear some of these stories put to music. Thank you for taking me "back to the day." It really isn't so awful from this perspective.
Bobby Johnston is a Los Angeles-based film composer and multi-instrumentalist. His credits include original scores for directors Stuart Gordon, Larry Clark, Laura Gabbert, Drake Doremus and Darren Lynn Bousman.
Johnston broke onto the film music scene with an unusual approach to film composition – using only acoustic instruments and performing every instrument himself. In subsequent years he has accented his process by bringing in many instrumental soloists. Johnston has composed original music for film, television, commercials, museum exhibits and major theme parks (San Diego Zoo). His music has also been featured extensively on the popular radio program “This American Life”.
His recent credits include the award-winning documentaries “Bleed Out” (HBO) and “City of Gold”, which Apple/iTunes placed on it’s 25 best soundtrack releases of the year (#13).
Thanks to MindBuck Media we have one copy to giveaway. Just tell us what your experience was like with Catholic school....That is, if you attended. We'll announce a winner soon. Good luck.
GIVEAWAY: USA only please
To purchase THE SAINT I AIN'T
I did not attend a Catholic school though I grew up in a Catholic neighborhood. The church was within walking distance from my home. My brother-in-law is Catholic and several of my friends are Catholic including my book club group. I've heard stories about the ruler on the knuckles being used. I would love to read and then share this book with all of my Catholic friends.
ReplyDeleteI had a religion class when I went to school in Canada that was quite interesting because we learned & drew pictures about stories in the bible. Almost everyone there is Catholic & one of my aunts was a nun but it never felt like religion to me.
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I did not attend a Catholic school, but my best friend attended Catholic schools her entire life, including college and law school. After marrying and having 2 children and deciding that she did not agree with the teachings of the Catholic Church, she decided that she would become Jewish and raise both children as Jews. All 3 of them went through the necessary rituals, including bathing in a Mikva, and both children and my friend all became bar and bat mitzvah, when they were ready and eligible. I, myself, attended a Jewish religious school for a very brief time during my childhood, but it was not a priority for my parents for me to attend, but as an adult I finally studied and became a bat mitzvah. My friend and I, and many others, all became adult bnai mitzvah together.
ReplyDeleteI didn't attend a Catholic school but when I was growing up we lived very close to one and I walked by this school everyday on my way home from my school. I had friends in the neighborhood who attended this school.
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