And the dreams of the child never were completely snuffed out. Over two centuries ago the poet William Wordsworth (“My Heart Leaps Up”) wrote “the child is father of the man.” For the author of this memoir studying the poets of the Romantic era of English literature was the highlight of all his many years of schooling.

They gave all three of their children the best education money could buy. Those dreams were deemed insufficiently ambitious to his parents who had experienced the Great Depression firsthand. If I write of it, it will include my substance abuse recovery story, too.Even as a little kid the author harbored visions of becoming a writer or perhaps a gym teacher. The second act - blooming as a fitness pro in my fifties - has come and gone. 'The Curse.' ends at a turning point for me, after my mom's suicide.

Thanks to great publishing you and I get to read and reread, live loud with me, and I am proud to present my conversation to you. That I can write in full sentences without making typos is enough editing for me. These short memoirs are a compilation of growing up in the 'burbs, military school for six years (just like my big brother), the office, the Fillmore, summer weekends on the beach in Southampton, and somehow finding the love of my life in a New York city swimming pool. Writing a book was dream fulfillment for me, not reflections on a 'long career.' A personal record of what went down in my little life both before and after the 'defining moment' - the car wreck in my last semester at Lehigh. Within six months I bolted, managing about a year of hitchhiking through Europe, before succombing again to the lure of steady pay. The only thing I liked about it was the great view of New York harbor from my desk. They balked at my record so I took a so-called 'executive' office job in the dreaded big city. Preferring journalism to teaching I applied to grad school. Eventually I earned my BA, majoring in English. Writing a book was dream fulfillment for me, not reflections on a 'long career.' A personal record of what went down in my little life both before and after the 'defining moment' - the car wreck in Pushed not to get too interested in writing by my mom, I entered Lehigh University, enrolling in civil engineering, but reluctantly. Pushed not to get too interested in writing by my mom, I entered Lehigh University, enrolling in civil engineering, but reluctantly.

The Curse of Iqbal by Robby Hamlin