With the publication of his first novel, The Education of Joey G., a 30-year dream has come true for new BAIPA member Gus Kearney
“It began with a writing workshop, where I shared one of my stories about a 6-year-old boy who explores the wilderness in his neighborhood. My fellow authors gave me positive feedback, so I decided to develop more stories about Joey.”
The book takes readers back to the 1950s and 1960s to Joey’s home in Lansdowne, outside Philadelphia. Bullying and rumors transform the lives of Joey and his buddies as they hurtle toward adulthood. As Kearney describes the storyline, “Navigating the tricky waters of childhood and youth—including racism, sexual longings, and a dark family secret—Joey learns who he is.”
A resident of Sonoma who grew up in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, Kearney’s writing has been published in literary magazines such as the Iconoclast, Grasslands Review, and Wayne Literary Review. For 35 years, Kearney taught English in the California Public Education system, from kindergarten classes through sophomore year in college. He retired in 2008.
Published in July 2015 by Gladstone Manor Publishing, The Education of Joey G. is available in paperback on Amazon.
To view more of Kearney’s stories, visit his website: biggkelt.com
For a review copy of The Education of Joey G., or an interview with Gus Kearney, call (707) 563-4190, or email: [email protected] .
