The Punk and the Professor

by Billy Lawrence, William K. Lawrence

Somewhere in a college classroom, the ancient myth of Plato's Allegory of the Cave is being retold and someone is remembering their ascent out of the dark cave. The Punk and the Professor pieces together the story of a man who began his journey out of ignorance. In the suburban shadows of New York City, eighteen-year-old Jack Tortis crawls his way through atypical adolescent struggles. He's an introvert in search of home, but he's been branded as a punk on an island with little opportunity for redemption. Set in the 1980s and '90s with a soundtrack of great music in the background, Jack and his friends try to find their way through dysfunction and illusion. In a battle for survival, they must overcome the violence, drugs, and apathy that infects their Long Island town. As winter approaches, Jack finds himself alone at the crossroads and must choose his fate. This modern coming-of-age story is framed by an ancient tale of wisdom that reminds us that reality is not always what it seems.

Genres: Fiction

308 pages, Hardcover

Published July 24, 2023

About the author

Librarian Note: Also writes under the pen name William K. Lawrence.

Reviews

[William Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book!

[P. Lundburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Punks are People, Too….

The Punk and the Professor is a classic coming-of-age story. Although it may fit a very tight niche, it is anything but typical. It tells the story of Jack Tortis, who like his name implies, meanders his way slowly through life, and toward self-discovery. Along the path he endures a life that is less than ideal, and survives (maybe) a host of teachers who deal with their own frustrations by picking out the “trouble” students and exercise power over them. For much of the book, we follow along Jack’s ups and downs, knowing the entire time he’s headed for an ultimate down.

One of the major themes in the book is the pursuit of freedom. This is captured largely through the motif of running: Running represents freedom, and Jack discovers he’s good at running, flirting with membership on the track team. But the metaphoric running is even more poignant: Jack is daily running from home, running from the prison of school, and ultimately running from himself—or rather, running TO try to find himself. In The Punk and the Professor, running represents a way of finding oneself.

Along the way, Jack seeks out the wild and crazy, in his girlfriends as well as activities with friends. But the reader knows what he’s really after is that ever-elusive freedom from the life he’s forced to live. It’s a life he doesn’t understand, except to know that it somehow isn’t right and that he needs to keep moving to find what is right. How does a youth do this when there are no role models and no sense of direction?

Jack finds himself in constant trouble, with 3-day stints in the suspension room at school. He fights back against teachers who don’t give him a chance, pigeon-holing him as trouble without trying for one moment to understand who he is—or even what he was doing that was so egregious (often nothing, actually). Thank god for a suspension room teacher who enjoys the writing Jack does while in suspension, and that plants a seed for Jack’s salvation.

The first line of Chapter 62 captures the movement of the entire story: “I just wanted to be myself.” But how does a kid with no decent role models and no direction find him/herself? Sadly, it’s usually through trial-and-error . . . and more error than anything else. The Punk and the Professor throws a lasso around that concept and builds a story about the youthful pursuit of freedom and self identity, and Billy Lawrence does a fantastic job of crafting a story that carries us through the coming-of-age that most of seem to have survived.

A note about the writing and the book itself. Coming-of-age stories often flop because they try to be something like The Catcher and the Rye. It’s a trap many writers fall into. Billy Lawrence tiptoes along the same kind of trouble-turned-out-fine story line without even teetering into J.D. Salinger’s shadow. He deftly carries us through Jack’s youth to the discovery of hope. He does this by framing the story with Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, which hovers in the backdrop of the story and is brought back at key moments to remind the reader what Jack’s story means. The book is well-written, engaging, and immensely successful in breathing fresh live into a well-established genre.

I recommend this book whole-heartedly to anybody who enjoys memoirs (even those this is a novel) and anybody who enjoys stories of self-discovery and/or coming-of-age. A very nicely crafted novel!

[Miriam Polli · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Punk and the Professor (great title I thought) is a straight forward tale of a troubled teenager who lives with his mother, his abusive stepfather and his little brother. Jack hangs with his buddies, doing drugs, and uncertain of who his real friends are—he spends a lot of time avoiding his family life even though the physical abuse of his young brother eats away at him. Jack handles his emotions quietly, learning to live in his own bubble in order to survive. He feels slighted by family members, and doesn’t trust most of his friends, and for that matter most of his teachers. This protagonist goes through life feeling like a “punk” but the reader knows he is far from a punk. The level of emotion is heightened when he reaches his own bottom and carves his path. If you want to read a book about the struggles of youth and the twist and turns of growing, this is the one.

[A.L. Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Punk and the Professor is a unique read set during the transformative turn from America’s late 1980s to the early 1990s in Long Island, New York, a time when the U.S. was transitioning from recession into a boom that brought revolutionary changes in business, technology, music, movies, fashion, travel, and more. The fictional 1st person account of the main character, Jack Tortis, reminds me somewhat of the 1986 coming-of-age film Stand by Me, which was based on Stephen King’s novella, The Body. Similarly, The Punk and the Professor chronicles the lives and relationships of a group of boys as they move through adolescence, told through the lens of Jack’s interactions and experiences. As a novel, this story covers many more topics than just the path to maturity and much more ground than only a brief excursion from home. Jack takes the reader along on a journey of several years, juxtaposing family life and time spent with friends against a backdrop of tedious and often turbulent hours spent in a dysfunctional public school system, frequently mentioning signs of the times such as the debut of MTV, luxury and sports cars, working jobs for minimum wage, the availability and influence of drugs and alcohol, violence among teens on the streets and in schools, the unprecedented freedoms that led many to overindulge in sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll, including those under legal age.

Jack poignantly pens personal milestones, tragedies and triumphs, along his road to self-discovery. He embodies both the foolish carefreeness of youth that can be detrimental as well as a fierce determination to survive and reach a level of individual success. He accurately describes a young mind mining through life, trying to determine who to trust, eventually realizing that first he must trust and make something of himself, which also means separating from unhealthy relationships while accepting support from adults willing and able to help him.

Anyone can relate to the trials of growing up, learning to see and accept one’s strengths and weaknesses and those of others, especially one’s parents. Jack’s observations of himself and those close to him reflect elements that I think speak to many if not most, thus making this book timeless. I found Jack to be quite an enjoyable character, capable of extracting good from bad like gold from rock. His tale from a happy, good student during elementary school through his metamorphosis into a rebellious and lost punk barely advancing to each new grade in middle and high school, but who eventually turns eighteen and relishes the boy he started out as, is educational, entertaining, and thought provoking. Author Bill Lawrence deftly describes this time in Jack’s life, always wonderfully weaving light and hope into his record of darkness and despair. Despite a plethora of school staff who don’t care for students like Jack, there are a few who do make a positive impact, especially the principal who encourages Jack to write. Likewise, although Jack’s family is deeply flawed, Jack still finds seeds of love within it, like when his great aunt pays for him to get away from his stressful environment to relax, reflect, and enjoy a prophetic glimpse of a different, new life at camp, lakeside under the tall pines in North Carolina where the seeds of love receive much needed watering.

[Mohamed · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Punk and the Professor” which is authored by Billy Lawrence is a book that one can find engrossed into. The book is worth reading because the author masters the modern life dilemmas and writes about them. The title of the book itself tells it all and is put in a way that already creates suspense. It touches on the current world issues that are faced by the youths who are going through dysfunctional relationships and families without anyone to look up to. This book has a way to reach into you and teaches important life lessons to survive. The life lessons taught in these book range from finding ways to survive from drug abuse, abusive parents and siblings and surviving through school where teaches do not care about one’s performance. The book gets one on board right from the first page and discloses information stepwise to create a fascinating plot full of suspense. It targets audience that cut across all ages especially starting from teenagers to ages above. This is because the characters involved have a lesson for each age group. This book is especially important for people who feel lost in one way or another. The author is trying to educate and persuade his audience on ways to struggle and find a place in the world which they can call their own. This book is moving to the reader and highly recommended for people who feel that they need to reflect about their position in this life.

[Lissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story follows Jack who struggles through his adolescence. He deals with his troubled upbringing and we see him go through the steps of growing up and finding his place in the world. This book illustrates perfectly the effect labelling and emotional oppression can have on your life and the choices you make. Jack's insecurities, experimentation and lack of direction reflect a side to growing up many of us can empathise with. The book has a interesting writing style, making the narrative insightful and intuitive.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to read this book and it started out ok, but by chapter 13 there weren't enough hooks or mystery to keep me engaged - and I have a stack of books to read piling up; so it ended up on my DNF shelf.
The writing was clean and nicely paced, the characterisations were good - but I didn't care enough about any of them to keep going.
Maybe there wasn't enough action or foreshadowing for me - others may well enjoy the 1980's atmosphere and growing pains vibe of surviving high school - but this book wasn't for me.

[Ben Shaberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Punk and the Professor is a colorful, engaging story about the struggle to emerge from a rough and tumble childhood and adolescence. The author does a nice job putting you down in the dirt with his troubled protagonist. It is gritty Americana written honestly and insightfully.

[Easin Arafat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book on The Punk and the Professor is really an excellent book by Billy Lawrence. The writer is being awesome with her writing skill throughout the book. She have plot the story of Jack Tortis in her way which is so different and attract the readers.

[Larry Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! Realistic, funny, yet sad, yet inspiring. Someone who works with high school dropouts and tries to get them back in school recommended this book. From what I know theres a lot of real Long Island culture in this novel. Not the typical type of story.

[Dana Vacca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful journey! Loved the book! Well-written, totally engrosses the reader in the life, times and troubles of the character. As the story unfolds you negotiate the ups and downs with Jack as he finds his way through life, making choices that will effect the person he will become. A great read!

[Neal Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual coming of age tale about a disadvantaged kid growing up on Long Island.
Reads a bit like an autobiographical story, although that is not clear.
Nice writing and a good story.

[Sean DeLauder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Early on it seems clear protagonist and narrator Jack is predestined by his dysfunctional family and socioeconomic status to the same self-destructive patterns as his friends, who are likewise trapped, frustrated, yet are disinclined to struggle against the inevitable. As a reader, much of the story was spent wondering if and when Jack would finally turn a corner--he must eventually, otherwise he wouldn't be telling us this story.

There were numerous times I wondered during my reading how much of this story was autobiographical because the vignettes seemed so authentic and palpable, so intimately detailed, and it occurred to me each time the reason was I grew up during this same era, and I believe everyone of this particular age can relate to the anxieties and experiences, if not from the first person, then at least from a parallel perspective--being a kid was hard, dysfunctional or atypical families seemed normal, and we roamed the world like animals off our leashes, living childhoods without guardrails.

The story was a nostalgia trip for someone who is no doubt nearly the same age as Jack, living during the same cultural period of the 80s and 90s, and recalling a time before an information and borderless social media age, where you could step away from a social network or lose individuals forever by simply leaving the neighborhood.

While Jack's experience was not my own, precisely, it was a familiar one. Everyone knows the kid from the low income and broken home, whose focus is less on moving onward than hedonism and popularity. We all have an idea of where these kids will end up, flies caught in the same web as their parents. It is, after all, behavior they have learned to emulate.

What separates Jack's bildungsroman from those I witnessed, and the experience Jack seemed doomed to repeat, was the surprising change in trajectory. Much of it comes from Jack's inevitable, nearly-too-late epiphany that he wanted more for himself and the only one who could make that possible was himself. Granted, he was aided by an uncle who helped lift him out of a destructive environment, an opportunity many of his friends lacked and for which several paid a heavy price.

Author Lawrence navigates Jack's story thriftily for a 300-page book that reads as though it's half that length, knitting together vignettes and building out Jack like a rolling snowball, bookended by an explanation of Socrates'/Plato's allegory of the cave, drawing a parallel between those caught in Jack's old prison of poverty and abuse and the cave and its illusory reality, that those who escape cannot convince those who remain are trapped. Nevertheless, we get the satisfaction of seeing adult Jack attempting to aid students from his home town break free, paying it forward, as teachers did for him before it was too late.

[Chris Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books that are about exceptional people who are brought into a world that gives them little opportunities to discover their gifts and the light they can bring to the world. Perhaps this is because, rightly or wrongly, I always felt a kinship to such kids as someone who grew up in a small town in Texas that offered little opportunity to people who didn't want to farm or be a roughneck in the oil fields. Jack, the main character of this book is someone slowly discovering that there is a world beyond the one he sees at the end of his battered fists. The allegory of Plato's cave is provided as a metaphor for this discovery of a world beyond the shadows, but also is a foreshadowing of what Jack will become if he can get through a life that is continuously is punching him in the face. Lawrence's writing brings the characters and the settings to life in a way that feels so real. The short chapters in chronological order also feels like shadows of Salinger and Wright in other cultural contexts, perhaps like a writer learning his own way out of the cave. Highly recommend giving this a read.

[James Aura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author transports us into the life of a youngster growing up on Long Island, in a broken family, attending broken schools in broken towns as he navigates friendships, girls, and most importantly his education.
The story is well-told first person by Jack Tortis, who struggles with the chaos in his life, both at home and at school. He is written off at an early age as a ne'er do well by teachers and principals, constantly suspended for misbehaving, or just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The story, full of realistic elements about a young person's struggles, rings true.
So, who exactly is the punk and who is the professor? Well, you'll just have to read the book and find out.

[Wayne Kilkenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s so much I liked about this book it’s going to be hard to do it justice.

Jack is trying to find his way and I could really relate to the character, all the characters are well rounded and the writing style unique. Each chapter seems to be a short story that fills in the timeline and has you wondering what comes next. Highly recommend you stick with it to the end, the best thing about this book is the writing style I personally loved it.

[Esther Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling coming of age story about a boy growing up in rough neighborhoods in the NYC area.
He deals with incompetent or unreliable parents, in some cases, abusive. Negligent school principals and a few teachers who care, despite his misbehavior.
Very absorbing and a very good read. A reminder of how important education, good parenting, and schools really are.

[Kristen Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this as a Goodreads giveaway. It’s probably not something I would have picked otherwise. However, I did enjoy it. Written from the perspective of an adolescent coming from a less advantaged family, the main character tells of the many obstacles he must navigate just to survive high school and life. It was an easy read. Recommend!

[Luci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story of a youth who grew up in rough neighborhoods, with rough schools and divorced parents who weren't very good at parenting. Some good real life examples illustrating the importance of education and teachers who care about their students, even sometimes the difficult ones.

[NC Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely written story of a young man's struggle growing up in a difficult family and rough towns with less than ideal teachers. Fascinating descriptions. Makes one wonder if the author lived the story,
one way or another.

[Jazz Fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deep dive into the life of a young man raised in difficult family circumstances, who hangs on and
eventually runs into a teacher who gives a damn. Story unfolds on Long Island, in the rundown areas of the place. Did not make me want to visit Long Island :)

[Cathryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I added one star for the Long Island setting. Yeah, that's how bad this book is.

[Grace Tenkay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story about an underprivileged kid growing up on the seamy side of Long Island, was a tale
well told. Good characters, plot and nice writing. A good teacher is a special thing.

[Harry Heitman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story about a kid who has a very hard time, with a fragmented home life, bad parents, and at least one teacher who cared.
Long Island must be a very interesting place to grow up.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
Got 35% through this book and realized I really just didn’t care about any of the characters at all.
Didn’t want to waste my time.
Received free from Goodreads

[Chris Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Longer review to come, but I really enjoyed this book.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book for the boys, for sure. One of the greatest novels I've ever read. The Punk is not a punk, but you have to read to find out who the professor is. There is mystery, suspended suspense, laughs, cries, horror, and relief. I read on Twitter that there's a sequel under way. JP needs a book of his own. Looking forward to seeing where all these kids end up.

[John Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome novel! This is totally a guy's book. Even though the story goes back to his younger age, it is not a book for younger kids. I think it's a great read for older teens though. Also an important read for parents and teachers to have a better understanding of the male mind. The setting is mostly late 80s/early 90s but it's not dated in language too much. Good song references too!