Module 1: School Poetry - The Brimstone Journals

Koertge, Ron. 2001. The Brimstone Journals. Ill. by: Timothy Basil Ering. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN-10: 0763617423 ISBN-13: 978-0763617424

The book is narrated by 15 high school seniors. Looking through the teenager’s eyes you will experience a small perspective of the cruel veracity of what teens are struggling with today. These teens allow you to experience some of the harsh realities of choices they are making and others that they did not chose to deal with on a day to day basis. This verse novel is a quick read and hard to put down once you start.

Your narrators include Boyd, Sheila, Damon, Kitty, Meredith, Joseph, Tran, Allison, Rob, Carter, Neesha, Jennifer, Lester, Kelli and David. They will share sexuality, guns, sexual abuse, guns, anger, guns, racism, guns, anorexia, guns, bullying, guns, God, lesbianism, guns, jocks, guns, addiction, guns and neglectful parents. The violence is apparent as you walk through and experience their lives. The students renamed the school from Branston High School to Brimstone High School – I can surely see why.

Ron Koertge said that the voices woke him in the middle of the night and it only took him three weeks to write the first draft. (Koertge, 2001) He truly has captured the heart wrenching feelings of these young adults. The characters are believable with the use of their language and emotions. You will be able to identify with some experiences from your high school days while being horrified, angry, frightened, laughing, saddened and hopeful with these readings.

Lester

I’m about half sick to my stomach all
the time because I’m scared.

Those jocks come down the hall like
a tidal wave of muscle. On a good day
they only knock me into the wall once.

The time Damon smashed a Twinkie
in my face I went to the office and
ratted him out.

I could see Mr. Newman look at his
calendar and think, The game’s tomorrow
night.

But he said, “I’ll talk to him, Lester. We’ll
make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Next time it was a Ding Dong instead
of a Twinkie. Damon said if I opened
my big mouth, I was a goner.
(The Brimstone Journals, 36)

The Brimstone Journals deals with so many issues that plague our youth. This poem shows bullying! This has become a major issue in our schools and this poem is a great way of discussing steps to take when confronted with this issue. These poems are written in free verse and a great lead in for introducing free verse. I would have the students write a free verse poem about an experience they are having at school. This one should be included in their anthology that they are compiling throughout the year.