Robert ‘Bobby Rack’ Rachaborski desperately needs a break. He’s living back in his dysfunctional home after college in a rough part of Boston, working a series of dead-end jobs, and trying to find time to write-his only solace in an unforgiving world. And then, it comes: he gains acceptance at the prestigious Yale School of Drama for playwriting, and his life is forever changed, though not in the ways he ever expected. Bobby struggles to find his place-and writing voice-in an unfamiliar world of privilege and promise. He finds love and comfort in the arms of an acting student, Sally, and together they navigate with sometimes genuine bravado, sometimes screaming alcohol-fueled faux-courage, the harsh criticism and toxic envy that is part and parcel of the theater world.
‘Bob Curtis was a fine writer with a fascinating story to tell. Do yourself a favor and read this book. You won’t be disappointed.’ -Mark Sa Franko, author of Hating Olivia, The Suicide and Nowhere Near Hollywood
‘Nothing comes easy for Bobby Rack. From the hardscrabble streets of 1980’s Boston to the hallowed halls of the Yale School of Drama the deck seems stacked against him. But Bobby never loses his faith in the power of the written word or the dignity of the working class. Searingly honest and brutally funny, Bob Curtis writes about the places where we hurt.’ -Seth Kanor, author of Indian Leap
‘I once knew a poet who lived before his time…’ Jimmy Buffett claims in a brilliant song. I feel the same about Bob Curtis. He wasn’t just a writer, he truly lived writing. Everything fed his creative genius. Yes, I said genius. Love or hate the content, there’s no denying his unbelievable talent. His voice draws you in like a siren. His craft keeps you there. Bob’s writing cracks open humanity, and looks at all the bloody, messy parts inside. I miss my friend Bob, but I believe his writing makes him immortal.’ -Michael F.X. Daley, Television Writer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Reaper
Clinical Associate Professor at Loyola Marymount University