Baloney Express

Sandy Garnett's debut book derives from the long lost 500 page handwritten journal he kept during his four month stint in a New England rehab and a halfway house in Mesa, Arizona, the summer after his freshman year at St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. Baloney Express documents the coming of age story of a 19-year-old in trouble. On the horizon of this desert walkabout appears a wise, weathered cowboy oilman, who helps Garnett to see clearly, live simply, staighten his life out and pursue his dream of making art for a living. Ripe with ruthless self-discovery and observational wit as the journal writer grows deeply through this life changing experience, 'Baloney' reaches well beyond the pale of traditional recovery literature into the labyrinthian corridors of contemporary adolescence, whose archetypal mentors shine the best of their lives forward. The author's passage from a self-destructive college freshman to a healthy son, brother and ambitious young artist underscores this uplifting story while exploring the resilience of a decent family, whose trials and tribulations are a testament to the rangy, stubborn optimism that echoes and carries the American spirit.