Jeffrey Harold Utterback's Blog

Hi everyone. I am Jeffrey Harold Utterback. I grew up in the middle of nowhere in a little town that nobody ever heard of. I had an unusual childhood and I decided to write a book about it. This is my first book and I hope you like it. The book is meant to be humorous and each chapter is a stand-alone tale that may be enjoyed on its own.

I was inspired to become a writer when I heard Bailey White reading an excerpt from her book "Mama Makes Up Her Mind" on National Public Radio (NPR). She uses humor to highlight the quirks of her relatives and family members while showcasing the way of life in the southern USA. In her book, each chapter is stand-alone humorous biographical essay. I used a similar format for my book.

I am a big fan of National Public Radio (NPR). There are several showss on NPR which showcase story tellers such as "This American Life," "Prarie Home Companion," and "The Moth." I think a lot of the inpiration for my book probably came from listening to radio shows like those.

I tell everyone that my book is a whimsical look at what life was like for a small-town boy growing up in the middle of nowhere. I was raised in central Illinois, right in the heart of farm country. The population density was very low. I lived in a tiny town and went to a tiny school. My life seemed perfectly normal to me until I discovered that most elementary schools have more that two teachers and one bus!

During my childhood, my parents gave me vast amounts of freedom. They didn't see danger lurking around every corner. I was allowed to roam around my small town and visit my friends and to learn and discover on my own. I had a lot of great adventures which were excellent foder for my book. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.