Monkey's Fist

This book is not intended to educate the reader, but to provoke a fresh appraisal of gangs and gang members. It is hoped that readers will begin to understand some of the reasons for gang violence and why some young men turn to gang life. The book does this with an honest, unadorned narrative that neither glorifier's or condemns gangs and gang members. The author leaves that decision, should it be made, up to the reader. I have visited "correctional facilities" meaning jails, for teen age boys since the early 80's. This book is about those experiences. In summary, the book is about gangs, symptoms of guilt, redemption, miracles and tragedies. I believe that evil acts often emerge from the perpetrator's emotional history rather than from a conscious choice. I strongly believe that one's emotional history causes much of the violence in society. When one knows of the emotional background the crime often times becomes more understandable and perhaps even "forgivable". Unfortunately society and many volunteers treat the symptoms of violence and not the root cause of violence or other antisocial behavior. I believe that violence must be addressed but that it is a component of a much larger problem, meaning emotional history. As such, we should try to give young people the tools, meaning information or knowledge, to cope with the root cause of violence, or the emotional background. This book is comprised of a series of short stories about the boys and is my attempt to pass on those coping skills. This book is not intended to educate the reader, but to provoke a fresh appraisal of gangs and gang members. It is hoped that readers will begin to understand some of the reasons for gang violence and why some young men turn to gang life. The book does this with an honest, unadorned narrative that neither glorifier's or condemns gangs and gang members. The author leaves that decision, should it be made, up to the reader. I have visited "correctional facilities" meaning jails, for teen age boys since the early 80's. This book is about those experiences. In summary, the book is about gangs, symptoms of guilt, redemption, miracles and tragedies. I believe that evil acts often emerge from the perpetrator's emotional history rather than from a conscious choice. I strongly believe that one's emotional history causes much of the violence in society. When one knows of the emotional background the crime often times becomes more understandable and perhaps even "forgivable". Unfortunately society and many volunteers treat the symptoms of violence and not the root cause of violence or other antisocial behavior. I believe that violence must be addressed but that it is a component of a much larger problem, meaning emotional history. As such, we should try to give young people the tools, meaning information or knowledge, to cope with the root cause of violence, or the emotional background. This book is comprised of a series of short stories about the boys and is my attempt to pass on those coping skills.