Curtis

Inscriptions on a Belt Curtis

Inscriptions is a fictional account of persons and events. The title is derived from the ritual of graduation at Harvest Valley School wherein students burned their names on the author's weight belt. With intrigue as its backdrop "Inscriptions" presents the personal stories of seven emotionally disturbed students and the staff whose job it was to nurture, heal, and educate them. The story is told through Lou, an educator who would rather be hanging out with his buddies in right field at Fenway, and Laura, a prodigal West Coast Catholic daughter who is seeking to escape the embracing hold of her Italian family. They are thrown together by State dictates to develop and implement a school-based therapeutic program. Their struggle to find a meeting of the minds mirrors the tension that frequently occurs between Education and Mental Health. The two professionals are joined in their venture by a host of vivid characters as they take on the complexities of the youngsters placed in their care, and seek to make a difference in their lives. The reader is invited to join the Valley Oak Day Treatment Program as they take on the challenges.