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Common Knowledge

Birthdate: 1947-12-15
Gender: male
Education: University of Washington (BA/Creative Writing)
Eastern Washington University (MS Applied Psychology & MFA Creative Writing)
Occupations: novelist
poet
teacher
Organizations: The Great Stories Club
Awards and honors: Inside Out was named a 2005 IRA Young Adults' Choice. 2001 Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award for Stuck in Neutral. IRA/CBC Young Adults’ Choice award for Cruise Control. New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age.
Agent: Balkin Buddies, Catherine Balkin (718)-857-7805
Short biography: Terry Trueman was born on December 15, 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama, but grew up in Seattle. He attended the University of Washington, where he received his B.A. in creative writing. He also has an M.S. in applied psychology and an M.F.A. in creative writing, both from Eastern Washington University. The father of two sons, Henry and Jesse, Terry Trueman makes his home in Spokane, Washington, where he has lived since 1974. Trueman's hobbies include his Sea Ray boat and his 1976 Corvette Stingray, and his Corvette, firy red! One of his heroes is poet Charles Bukowski. He considers Terry Davis and Chris Crutcher two invaluable mentors.

From his Website.
Nationality: USA
Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Places of residence: Birmingham, Alabama, USA (birth)
Spokane, Washington, USA
Seattle, Washington, USA
Associated Place (for map): Washington, USA

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148 reviews

Whisper1 2,629 reviews

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

This packs a punch in a mere 114 pages. The writing is sparse and excellent with no need for more embellishment.

Compact and haunting, this Printz Honor book is a story of fourteen year old Shawn who is profoundly impacted by cerebral palsey. With no control of his muscles, and no ability to communicate, those in his environment deem him severely stuck in an area wherein they cannot fathom his mind working.

While Shawn cannot communicate, he is indeed a genius and able to remember details and show more process the world around him.

He is loved by his parents and siblings, but the toll of taking care of him and the emotional fortitude required is too much for his father. This results in his father leaving the home.

Shawn has no doubt his father loves him. Perhaps his father loves him so much that he might decide to take Shawn's life to put him out of his perceived misery.

While his body is weak, his mind is strong. If only Shawn could communicate with his father to tell him he longs to live!

Highly recommended. Five Stars. show less

Jun 14, 201387 other reviews

karriethelibrarian 118 reviews

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

What would it be like to be alive and the only thing you can do is be awake or be asleep? You can't talk, walk, move any part of your body voluntarily, eat, or even express your feelings through your facial features. This is what life is like for Sean, who is trapped inside his own body. His family thinks he's a vegetable and that he can't understand a word that is said to him. But behind Sean's seemingly unknowing eyes is the mind of a very intelligent and sensitive young man. He is aware show more of everything around him, understands the conversations his family has in front of him, and can pick up on everyone's emotions, including his father's increasing agitation about how pathetic Sean's life is. Then one day his dad -- who has moved out of the family house because he can't stand the stress of having a handicapped son -- starts talking about euthanasia and how it would be better to put some people 'out of their misery.' Is Sean miserable? He doesn't think so. In fact, Sean is pretty happy with his life, but with no way to tell anyone that he quickly feels as if danger is heading his way. Could his father actually 'put him out of his misery?' show less

Mar 17, 200887 other reviews

yourotherleft 410 reviews

Inside Out by Terry Trueman

In this very short novel, we meet Zach just at the moment the coffee shop he's sitting in is being robbed by two desperate young men. It quickly becomes apparent that something is not quite right about Zach. He's not scared, he doesn't seem to know when it's best to keep quiet, he's much more interested in getting a maple bar than in getting out of harm's way, and, honestly, he's not quite sure the situation he's in is even real. When the police arrive, the robbery escalates to hostage show more situation. Over the course of the next few hours, secrets will emerge. Zach is sick, and he needs his medicine, but the people in the back room of the coffee shop need a hero, and Zach might just be the only guy who can be one.

Inside Out is a fast paced book that grips from the very first page. In addition to the action and suspense of the coffee shop hostage situation, there's a lot going on in these few pages not the least of which is Zach's struggle against his mental illness. In Zach's narration and intervening notes from his medical file, a door is opened into living with mental illness. While the book is intended for a young adult audience, I found Zach's perspective illuminating, giving me a better understanding of his disease.

At the risk of spoiling such a short book, I'll say no more about the plot. What I will say is that I was impressed with how Trueman brought a plot rich book together with a strong portrayal of a mentally ill character and gave sympathetic eye to all three of his male main characters. If you're looking for a quick read that packs a punch, give this one a try! show less

May 9, 202016 other reviews

2wonderY 1,464 reviews

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

Shawn's inner life is amazingly well drawn, complete with humor and out-of-body experiences and male teen fixations. His parents fail him in a variety of ways. His dad, while agonizing about Shawn's pain, leaves the family because he can't handle it; but them builds his career from a poem he wrote about that angst. What a loser! His mother functions at a much higher level, seeming to provide all that she can; except that she still relates to him as an infant. That would be hard to pull off. show more His siblings are fiercely protective and treat him as an individual, even without any of the feedback usually needed in relationships.
I look forward to reading more about this family. show less

Jul 1, 201487 other reviews

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