# Hole in My Life > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hole_in_My_Life > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hole_in_My_Life.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hole_in_My_Life > Source revision: 1338238649 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 2002 autobiography by Jack Gantos Hole in My Life First edition Author Jack Gantos Genre Autobiography Publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Macmillan Publishers Publication date 2002 Pages 224 ISBN 0312641575 OCLC 60416727 LC Class 2001040957 ***Hole in My Life*** is an American autobiography of [Jack Gantos](/source/Jack_Gantos) and was published by [Macmillan Publishers](/source/Macmillan_Publishers) in 2002. In 2003 the book was honored with the [Michael L. Printz Award](/source/Michael_L._Printz_Award)[1] and the same year became a winner of the [Robert F. Sibert Medal](/source/Robert_F._Sibert_Informational_Book_Medal).[2] ## Plot The book is set in 1971 and discusses the author’s life behind bars. Before prison, Gantos dreamed of becoming a writer and was inspired by [William S. Burroughs](/source/William_S._Burroughs), who used drugs to get through his life as a writer. After dropping out of university in [Saint Croix](/source/Saint_Croix), Gantos began using [hashish](/source/Hashish) and later joined the sail team.[3] There, he became friends with two other men named Hamilton and Rik, the latter of whom promised Gantos $10,000 to sail with him from the [Virgin Islands](/source/Virgin_Islands) to [New York City](/source/New_York_City) to sell hash. Gantos accepted the offer and, upon arriving to New York and settling into a hotel, he and his friends were captured by the [FBI](/source/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation). Gantos and his co-conspirators all received prison sentences that varied in length from 5 to 20 years for [drug trafficking](/source/Drug_trafficking). Gantos was originally sentenced to five years, but was released on good behavior after only serving 15 months of his sentence.[4] While in prison, he worked as an X-ray technician and wrote his thoughts in a journal on a copy of *[The Brothers Karamazov](/source/The_Brothers_Karamazov)*. Before leaving prison, Gantos applied to a university creative writing program, and he would later begin a new life by selling [Christmas trees](/source/Christmas_tree). ## Reception The book received positive reviews from *[Kirkus Reviews](/source/Kirkus_Reviews)*[5] and *[Publishers Weekly](/source/Publishers_Weekly)*.[6] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Michael L. Printz Winners and Honor Books"](http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/bookawards/printzaward/previouswinners/winners). [Young Adult Library Services Association](/source/Young_Adult_Library_Services_Association). 15 March 2007. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141006164201/http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/bookawards/printzaward/previouswinners/winners) from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Robert F. Sibert Medal and Honor Books, 2001-present"](http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/sibertmedal/sibertpast/sibertmedalpast). [Association for Library Service to Children](/source/Association_for_Library_Service_to_Children). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140722184028/http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/sibertmedal/sibertpast/sibertmedalpast) from the original on July 22, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Gray, Keith (February 12, 2005). ["Review: Hole in My Life"](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2005/feb/12/featuresreviews.guardianreview27). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140917183612/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2005/feb/12/featuresreviews.guardianreview27) from the original on September 17, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Bodett, Tom](/source/Tom_Bodett) (May 19, 2002). ["Children'S Books; Portrait of the Artist as a Young Convict"](https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/19/books/children-s-books-portrait-of-the-artist-as-a-young-convict.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141124041333/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/19/books/children-s-books-portrait-of-the-artist-as-a-young-convict.html) from the original on November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Hole in My Life"](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jack-gantos/hole-in-my-life/). *[Kirkus Reviews](/source/Kirkus_Reviews)*. May 20, 2010. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141124041550/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jack-gantos/hole-in-my-life/) from the original on November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Hole in My Life"](http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-374-39988-7). *[Publishers Weekly](/source/Publishers_Weekly)*. February 25, 2002. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141124041650/http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-374-39988-7) from the original on November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2014. ## External links - [Official website](http://www.jackgantos.com/books/hole-in-my-life) This article about a memoir is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Memoir-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AMemoir-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Memoir-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hole in My Life](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hole_in_My_Life) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hole_in_My_Life?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.