Jack Gantos by VINCENT SU

Bibliography

suvin000 — 2025-10-10 16:15:30 UTC

Gantos, Jack. Hole in My Life Jack Gantos. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2002.

Moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico (1)

suvin000 — 2025-10-20 17:12:47 UTC

Junior year of high school, Jack's family left Florida and moved to San Juan because his father found a new job. There, Jack went into work instead of school, getting a job at a construction site for a hotel.

Back to school (2)

suvin000 — 2025-10-20 18:45:12 UTC

After six months of working, Jack flew back to Florida. Making the decision to get his high school diploma, Jack's father made arrangements for him to live with the Bacon family.

A New Home (3)

suvin000 — 2025-10-20 19:28:18 UTC

Jack was kicked out of the Bacon's house after leaving a mess from excessive drinking the night before. He eventually stumbled across an old motel called "The King's Court".

Seminoles (4)

suvin000 — 2025-10-21 16:16:36 UTC

During his stay in "The King's Court," Jack would see Seminoles "shout and parade around in their native costume as they called on the spirit of Chief Osceola to help them regain their homeland." (34).

University of Florida (5)

suvin000 — 2025-10-21 18:35:00 UTC

Jack was accepted to the University of Florida, but decided not to go after realizing that this school was not what he wanted.

Putting Off School (6)

suvin000 — 2025-10-21 18:49:35 UTC

Jack decided that he would work in his father's new company and save money to enroll in a better college, saying that "helping my father, saving a few bucks, and writing on my own was all the purpose I needed" (42).

An Old Friend (7)

suvin000 — 2025-10-21 23:51:11 UTC

Jack's friend, Tim Scanlon, had come to visit and hang out with Jack before moving in with his parents. Tim asked Jack if he wanted to sell some weed and make some cash, and Jack agreed. However, after giving him $200 to buy the drugs, Tim never called Jack back. A couple days later, Jack decided to call Tim's house number. Tim picks up and reveals that he was caught with the drugs and lost all of Jack's money. Jack was very bummed out, and retreated to a bar, where he would smoke and drink until he passed out.

A Trip to Key West (8)

suvin000 — 2025-10-23 16:21:48 UTC

Jack, "charged up with a newfound desire to write [...] drove all day in the rain like a maniac toward the Keys" (48). Unfortunately for Jack, there was a tropical storm headed North from Cuba that might hit the keys. Nonetheless, Jack kept speeding down the causeway, somehow ecstatic about the whole encounter. When he got to the Keys, he found a motel and stayed the night. In the morning, the storm was gone, and the TV was playing a documentary on the "Great Hurricane of 1935".

St. Croix (9)

suvin000 — 2025-10-24 18:14:38 UTC

Jack arrived in St. Croix, but all his father's construction jobs had been canceled. Instead, they built large wooden packing crates, and were paid in room and board. Because of this, Jack was unable to save money up for college.

"Where There is Blood, There is Ink" (10)

suvin000 — 2025-10-24 18:16:26 UTC

Looking for something significant to write about, Jack decides to interview a group of black activists about the racial tension in St. Croix. The tension had always run high, but "The tension mounted when a radical black party, based on the Black Panthers, formed and publicly called for white extermination [...] Homes were broken into. People were murdered. Stores were looted." (58).

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

suvin000 — 2025-10-24 18:30:11 UTC

One of the interviewee tells Jack, "You just turn your white ass around and go back to the white bar you come from and drink a cold white man's beer while you can because as the song say, 'When the revolution comes, Hertz is not going to put you in the drivers seat.' " (64)

Ten Thousand Dollars (11)

suvin000 — 2025-10-24 23:53:38 UTC

Jack's new friend, Rik, makes a deal with him. If Jack agrees to help sail a boat with Rik's friend, Hamilton, smuggle 2000 pounds of hashish into New York, and help sell the hash, they would pay him $10,000 cash. Jack, only thinking about the money, agrees to the deal.

Ship's Log (12)

suvin000 — 2025-10-25 00:04:51 UTC

Spanning from July 15th to August 6th, Jack documented his experience every day aboard the ship. He recorded these on a book the size of a dictionary. This book he found also had the name of the ship, "Beaver," on the cover.

A Close Call (13)

suvin000 — 2025-10-25 14:59:00 UTC

Jack and Hamilton accidentally enter the "Home of the Coast Guard training base," in Cape May, New Jersey. Jack and Hamilton were both incredibly scared of a customs check, but the cadets were nice, and they escorted them back onto shore without any problems.

The First Deal (14)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 06:14:37 UTC

After docking the boat, Jack and Hamilton waited for Rik to show up with his car. They weighed and bagged 250 pounds of hash, which they would then sell to a guy named Jerome. When the three of them met up with Jerome, he took them to his house, where his friend would arrive with the money. However, after a while, Jerome's friend still hadn't shown up yet, and Jerome convinced the three to stay the night. In the morning, Jerome's friend arrived, and the three were able to sell the hash.

Someone Was Watching (15)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 14:39:36 UTC

On the way back from the deal, Hamilton noticed something strange -- someone was following them. He quickly went off the road and sped into the grassy median. When they got back to the boat, the marina owner told them that their boat had broke away from the dock, but "two men came up in a launch and boarded her [...] Were they friends of yours?" (108).

Someone Was Watching (15)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 14:40:19 UTC

The Chelsea Hotel (16)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 16:13:23 UTC

After the incident with the boat, the three of them stayed in the Chelsea Hotel. Rik kept track of the records and sales, and Jack delivered the hash all around town. When he wasn't out delivering, Jack would sit in the hotel lobby, smoke hash, and update the ship's log.

Famous People

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 16:18:25 UTC

While in the hotel lobby, Jack couldn't help but wonder who the other people hanging out in the lobby were. He asked Rik for his opinion on them, and he replied saying, "Everyone hip stays here. Jane Fonda. Jimmy Page. Bob Dylan. This place is crawling with famous people" (111).

Money Time! (17)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 16:30:01 UTC

By the second week of delivering the drugs around town, they had already sold most of their supply. Because of this (and Jack's constant begging), Jack was finally paid his $10,000. He was overjoyed, and with the money, he "played with it like a kid with a toy" (113).

Operation 2 (18)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 16:36:17 UTC

Eager to make some more money, Hamilton asked Jack if he wanted to help sail the boat to England before picking up another ton of hash and repeating the operation. He promised a better cut of the deal, and Jack told him he'd give it some thought. In reality however, Jack "wanted to get started on [his] future. [He] called a few colleges in New York and asked about writing programs"(113).

FBI (19)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 16:48:05 UTC

They had almost sold all of the hash -- only a few hundred pounds remaining. Rik called to make another delivery, but this time Hamilton told Jack to stay put, saying he'll make the delivery. However, on the second floor, Jack could hear a commotion in the lobby. A man shouting, "We're FBI!" (115), and Hamilton saying, "Okay, okay, don't hurt me. Don't!" (115). It was then that two men walked through the door. Hamilton shouted, "There they are! Those are the guys who own the boat." (115). This caused the agents to let him go, and Hamilton ran out the back hall and into an alley.

Jack's Escape (20)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 17:10:35 UTC

Jack ran back up into his room, throwing his cash, five kilos of hash, and clean clothes into a green duffel bag. He walked out the front door and made his way to the first subway station. He took a train to Penn Station, where he would take another train to Florida. Only the train didn't leave for another hour, so Jack headed downstairs to the movie theater, where he watched "A New Leaf". When it was time, Jack got onto the train. He got off at Fort Lauderdale and took a cab back to "The King's Court," where he would rest for a bit.

Turning Himself In (21)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 17:22:14 UTC

At the motel, Jack called his father. His father told him that he got in touch with a lawyer in New York and gave him his number. Jack called the lawyer, Al E. Newman, and he said that an appointment had already been set up for Jack to turn himself in. Jack asked, "Do I have to turn myself in?" (123), and Newman says, "You can hide out until they catch you, and they will. And they [...] will throw the book at you, which [...] is seventy-five years" (123). Jack told Newman, "Tell them I'll turn myself in" (123).

Mr. Tepper (22)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 17:33:43 UTC

After visiting with Newman in his office, Jack and Newman would both go to to the prosecuting attorney's office to discuss the charges placed on Jack. The attorney's name was Mr. Tepper, and during the discussion, he reveals that Rik had snitched, unlocking the whole operation.

Attica Prison Uprising (23)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 17:40:31 UTC

Watching the news on the Attica Prison Uprising, Jack couldn't feel anything but complete horror. As he watched, he started to realize what kind of place prison was. "Guards weren't going to protect [him]. Prisoners weren't going to protect [him]. [He] was screwed" (138).

The Sentencing (24)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 17:45:48 UTC

Newman couldn't defend Jack in court. Tepper had too much evidence against him, and in the end, the judge ruled a 5010B. Newman told Jack, "A 5010B is a youth sentence. It means you can do anywhere from sixty days to six years, depending on your behavior and what the parole board thinks" (146).

First Night In Prison (25)

suvin000 — 2025-10-26 17:52:06 UTC

Jack was handcuffed and put on a black bus with two dozen other handcuffed men. They were sent to a federal holding prison on West Street. The room Jack stayed in had 18 military bunks for 36 men. Jack picked the top bunk in the corner under a blue florescent light. Jack didn't sleep that night. He didn't go down for breakfast either. He never wanted to leave the safety of his bunk.

Ashland, Kentucky (26)

suvin000 — 2025-10-27 01:47:54 UTC

Jack was soon shipped out of West Street and into the federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky. When he got there, the physician's assistant, Mr. Bow, spotted lice in Jack's hair. Because of this, Jack was put into his own private cell instead of out in population.

Reading The Walls

suvin000 — 2025-10-27 02:15:33 UTC

Out of complete boredom, Jack decided to start reading the graffiti scratched into the walls. He "puzzled out names and words, dates and shapes" (157). Jack eventually found what he thought was the best line on the walls, which was, "WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE" (158), from the movie Cool Hand Luke.

Taken Pity (27)

suvin000 — 2025-10-27 02:34:02 UTC

After the first few days, the food service worker delivering Jack his meals brought him "some books, a pad of paper, envelopes, and a pencil" (158). He had taken pity on Jack because Jack had been just bouncing around his cell. With the envelopes, Jack sent the judge a letter, asking to reduce his sentence time. With one of the books, Jack wrote in between the lines, recording experiences in jail.

X-Ray Tech (28)

suvin000 — 2025-10-27 02:44:52 UTC

Jack met up with Mr. Bow again to check for lice. This time, the lice was gone and Jack would be sent down to population. However Jack didn't want to go to population. He asked Mr. Bow if he needed any workers in the hospital staff, and he revealed that his X-ray tech had just tried to escape the prison, but was caught trying to climb the fence. He offered Jack the job, and Jack accepted it with glee. Jack was also able to keep his private cell.

Parole Board (29)

suvin000 — 2025-10-27 03:04:51 UTC

Five months later, Jack was able to see the parole board, where they would determine how much more of the sixty days to six years he would have to serve. The hearing did not end well, as three weeks later, they sent a letter announcing that Jack had a 2-year setoff until he could see them again.

Surprise Visitors (30)

suvin000 — 2025-10-27 05:26:00 UTC

On a random weekday afternoon, the hospital guard knocked on Jack's door and announced that he had two visitors. When he walked out into the visiting room, Jack was surprised to see his father and his uncle Jim drunk and smoking cigarettes. They were only given 15 minutes with each other, and with not much to say, Jack gave both of them a warm hug before heading back to his cell.

The Escape Plan (31)

suvin000 — 2025-10-27 06:08:14 UTC

Jack's plan to get out of prison was to try getting accepted into a college and hoping the parole board would grant him an early release to go to school. Jack had his caseworker, Mr. Casey, type up the application and send it to the college and parole board. After weeks of waiting, Jack was accepted into the college. A little after that, the parole board sent a letter saying that they would let Jack go on two conditions. He needed "to have a stable place to live in New York City, and a job" (193).

Finally Out (32)

suvin000 — 2025-10-27 06:15:01 UTC

Jack's father knew a guy whose mother had an extra room Jack could stay in. That same guy also had a brother who would give Jack a job selling Christmas trees. With this information, Mr. Casey called the parole board, and they approved his release, giving him walking papers.

Terrible Loss (33)

suvin000 — 2025-10-27 06:19:21 UTC

As Jack left the prison, he had to leave behind his journal, as it was prison property. Jack was devastated, as "That journal was the one and only thing [he] loved about prison" (196).

The End (34)

suvin000 — 2025-10-27 06:27:52 UTC

In his college writing classes, Jack would only write about his time in prison, as it was the only thing he was thinking of. However, he eventually got bored of those bloody stories, and began to write about the lost pleasures of his childhood. And with that, Jack also started writing stories for children, where he finally found his success as a writer.