Gil Van Wagner

Jersey Sure Gil Van Wagner

"Our world changed dramatically in 1964. The US recovered from the loss of JFK, handled the British Invasion led by the Beatles, and pushed to put on man on the moon. For a ten year old growing up on Keansburg, New Jersey, the bigger issues were a whole Saturday of trick-or-treating, a pinewood derby car made with a butter knife and a paint dunk, and a mother determined to be the first one on the block with an artificial Christmas Tree---one that looked liked it was made of aluminum foil (the tree, not the mother). Put the boy in Catholic School with Nuns more like Gestapo, live life year long in a blue collar resort town 40 miles from NYC, and you have a coming of age tale that captures the fun and foibles as life in the fifth grade."