School Poetry: The Brimstone Journals

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Koertge, Ron. 2001. The Brimstone journals. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. INSB 9780763617424

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

 

The Brimstone Journals by Ron Koertge displays the harsh realities of high school. Bullying, sexual desires, homosexual tendencies, white supremacy, black pride, obesity. You name it, Branston High School’s Class of 2001 experiences it. Written in free verse novel form, The Brimstone Journals describes high school life as told by 15 students of varying ethnicities, levels of self-esteem, and social status. Each literal poem, written almost as journal entry format, tells individual perspectives of the same major storyline: a disgruntled teenager and fellow student planning an attack on the school, targeting many of the students featured in the book.

Readers will attach to at least one of the class members. The range and fluctuation of the reader’s emotion will depend on which character he/she identifies with. One may side with the “fat boy” outcast Lester and empathize with his desire to fit in regardless of the consequences. Another may relate well to Sheila who questions her sexuality. Still others may best identify with the bitter, anger-driven, revenge-seeking Boyd.

In the beginning, keeping the students straight proves to be a challenge. However, each student has his or her own style and personality. Neesha, a proud African American, chooses to write in Ebonics (although she proves her ability to write grammatically correct work). Boyd’s bluntness and signature profanity may shock readers; however, his choice words help highlight his distaste with his peers. Kelli (possibly the stereotypical “Valley Girl”) freely uses “like” in her description of boy troubles.

The free verse novel uses the perspective of 15 students to tell one cohesive story. Read independently, the poems make little sense. However, together, the poems both introduce readers to the diverse Branston High Class of ’01 and chronologically depict everyday events that occur—many separate from the academic world. If written in narrative form, Koertge could have included the most finite details leading to climactic events. Instead, the reader is able to fill in the gaps between each student’s account. This stimulates thought about the very real challenges teenagers face—both major and minor events.

Koertge is the sole author of The Brimstone Journals, although he portrays the characters as distinct individuals. The novel is divided into six section that act as chapters—showing that some time has passed. Rather than titling each poem, the teenage writer’s name is the title. One must read the poem to discover the topic and events!

Distinguishing between each teenager can cause the reader some struggle in the beginning, especially because the order of featured teens is random. Smart thinking by the author as this dilemma causes the reader to have to look back at previous passages! (This reader read through most of the book twice just to ensure I got my characters matched with the correct scenario.) The beauty of this randomized order is twofold: 1) readers must pay close attention to the tiny details that characterize each teenager, and 2) the story is seamless as the plot passes from one student to the next. Koertge has created a masterpiece in this short novel in verse that clearly defines the realities of high school for many teenagers. 

POETRY SPOTLIGHT

“Lester”, p. 36

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 in was a Ding Dong instead

of a Twinkie. Damon said if I opened

my big mouth, I was a goner.

To introduce the book, students will turn & talk to a partner about what “bullying” means to them. Finding another partner, they will provide an example of how bullying looks, sounds, or feels.

Read Lester’s poem from p. 36 to the whole group. On a T-chart, students independently list 1) how this incident would make them feel & how they’d react, and 2) how they would react if they saw this happening to someone else.  They will share their ideas with others and add to their own list any interesting thoughts.

Allow students to read the entire book independently. As they are reading it, they will write short journal entries (similar to the poems) noting if the students from Branston High School resemble any students in their school. How are they similar? Are there any major differences in the two classes? How would (or do) they feel knowing a student like Boyd walks their halls?

As a follow up activity for the book, students will discuss & write how the story would have been different if it was told as a narrative. Would it have been better? Disadvantages of writing in narrative form?