"Growing Up Without A Father" sounds like a deeply personal diary entry in which 13 year old James Oliver discloses his experiences of being raised without his Dad around for the majority of his life.

James starts his story by talking with Mr. Landry, his principal, in order to gain perspective on why it's important to have father figures in our lives and ideas for how fathers are supposed to take care of their children. This particular segment of the piece struck me the most because I felt it showcased the ultimate danger of those who don't have a father figure: How do I become a good father once I bare children if I have no one to learn from? These behaviors can be a vicious cycle, generation after generation abandoning their children because it's all they know, it's all they've experienced. It's important that those who have grown up without a father be rebellious by breaking the cycle. Likewise, it's important that more people like Principal Landry offer perspectives on fatherhood to those in need.

The piece also cites some alarming statistics about how many fathers are incarcerated in the state of Louisiana.

The whole piece seems to be redeeming for James. It must be extremley relieving to talk about these things out in the open and to construct it in a highly creative form. That doesn't make it easy. I applaud James' courage and bravery for producing such a highly personal piece!