Straight Dope is a book that
asks the simple question–why are drugs so entrenched in America’s
society. Instead of doing the same ol’ rigamarole song and dance and
interviewing talking heads and experts, Straight Dope gets to
the heart of the matter and talks to the people at ground zero–the drug
addicts whose lives revolve around getting high; the criminals who
profit off the misery of the addicts; the teachers who deal with the
children in drug abused homes; the drug counselors who try to balance
breaking the addicts cycle of addiction while dealing with the
bureaucracy of government politics; the legal marijuana growers’ battle
against tobacco companies and how to thrive in the growing industry; and
the parents’ issue of how they will prepare their children to just say
no.
Inspired by the late great Studs Terkel’s many works, Straight Dope
is comprised of raw and uncut hard hitting interviews about the
participants experiences, thoughts, opinions, and outlook on drug abuse,
why or why not drugs should be legal, and how the government is
handling the war on drugs.
Removing nearly all of the questions,
the interviews are more like monologues, allowing the reader to feel as
if the subject is just, “talking,” instead of your standard interview.
In addition to the real life accounts,
Straight Dope also includes spoken word pieces compiled of biting social commentary, as well as my own personal reflections comprised of my experiences with drugs.
Book SYNOPSIS:
Straight Dope is a book that
asks the simple question–why are drugs so entrenched in America’s
society. Instead of doing the same ol’ rigamarole song and dance and
interviewing talking heads and experts, Straight Dope gets to
the heart of the matter and talks to the people at ground zero–the drug
addicts whose lives revolve around getting high; the criminals who
profit off the misery of the addicts; the teachers who deal with the
children in drug abused homes; the drug counselors who try to balance
breaking the addicts cycle of addiction while dealing with the
bureaucracy of government politics; the legal marijuana growers’ battle
against tobacco companies and how to thrive in the growing industry; and
the parents’ issue of how they will prepare their children to just say
no.
Inspired by the late great Studs Terkel’s many works, Straight Dope
is comprised of raw and uncut hard hitting interviews about the
participants experiences, thoughts, opinions, and outlook on drug abuse,
why or why not drugs should be legal, and how the government is
handling the war on drugs.
Removing nearly all of the questions,
the interviews are more like monologues, allowing the reader to feel as
if the subject is just, “talking,” instead of your standard interview. In addition to the real life accounts, Straight Dope
also includes spoken word pieces compiled of biting social commentary,
as well as my own personal reflections comprised of my experiences with
drugs.
About the Author:
My name is LeRon L. Barton and I was born in Kansas City, MO in 1978
(totally dating myself – LOL). Like any Midwestern person, I wanted to
come to California. Why? Because of the weather and the beaches, duh!
After going to school for IT and moving from San Diego to The Bay Area,
which I absolutely love, there was a void in my life. I broke down and
admitted to myself,
I am an artist! All my life I knew that I
wanted to be a writer, well a stuntman, then a race car driver (I still
want to!), but finally settled on using the power of the written word. I
have written poetry, short stories, essays, and two screen plays, but I
have always wanted to write a book. The idea for
Straight Dope
came because I wanted to create something real and impact–something
about which I had knowledge. Where I come from, in my neighborhood,
circle of friends, and way of life, drugs have always been around.
Instead of taking a judgmental view of the topic, I wanted to have
people tell their own story as I listened. I just didn’t want to talk to
law enforcement and get this uniform answer on drugs in America, I
wanted a well rounded look into drug culture, hence the title, Straight
Dope: A 360 degree look into American drug culture.
This is my first book, but definitely not the last. I hope to continue
to release projects that will make people take a step back and listen,
learn, and as they say around my way – “Recognize, realize, and
analyze.”
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After a series of 
