13th Boy
A Memoir of Education & Abuse
Published on 17. September 2014
Book
Hardback
196 pages
978-1-61457-112-4 (ISBN)
Description
"It sounds like a horror movie". That's what Stephen Fife's friend said when he told her what happened at his private prep school in New York City. "Fifteen teachers messing with students at the same high school?....How is that even possible?" she asked. Indeed. When one man abused 11 boys at Penn State, there was shock and horror both inside the university community and out, and legal action swiftly followed. But at Horace Mann School, where teachers regularly abused boys over three decades, no formal acknowledgement or independent investigation has taken place. And because of the restrictive statute of limitations in New York, no lawsuits can be filed. Stephen Fife, a poet, playwright, and screenwriter, whose most recent screenplay, "Blue Kiss", was just optioned by Fable Entertainment (to be packaged by Paradigm), was one of these abused boys. He has written a compelling, soul-baring account of his experience. Fife's mentor, an English teacher who praised his writing and told him he could be a famous poet (if he worked closely with him and did everything he advised), used his power over the teenage boy to sexually attack him in a hotel room on a school-sponsored trip. Later he lured Fife to his apartment repeatedly, where the abuse continued. This was 1970-71, before the days of iphones and selfies. When 17 year-old Fife finally found the courage to report the abuse to the associate headmaster, he was told that without solid evidence, he had better keep quiet. An accusation without hard proof, said the associate headmaster, would put Fife's stellar college recommendation letters in jeopardy. To go public would mean risking his Ivy League aspirations and his future as a writer, as well as informing his parents. At the time, Fife did not know he was one of many victims. Nor did he know that Mr Berman, the teacher who abused him, was just one of many teachers at Horace Mann molesting students. Only years later, after an article in the New York Times Magazine named other teachers as well as some administrators (and didn't mention Mr Berman), did Fife realize the extent of the abuse. Hoping to provide insight into what happened at Horace Mann (including suicide by many of the victims, and obsessive suicidal thoughts of his own), Fife is trying to compel Horace Mann to cooperate in an independent investigation. With the publication of this book he also seeks to change the statute of limitations laws, so that future victims will not be prevented from going to court; and to provide moral support for his fellow victims, who were betrayed by adults they trusted. The book also provides practical advice to parents: how to recognise the threat of predatory adults and the signs of molestation, and how to handle the emotional fall out, if abuse does occur.
Reviews / Votes
The statute of limitations in New York State is one of the most restrictive in all of America and many good people are working hard to change the current law which denies justice for survivors. I hope that Stephen Fifes eloquent first-person account will help the public understand the life-long consequences of child sexual abuse and put a spotlight on the need to hold institutions accountable for exposing and preventing it. -- Assemblywoman Margaret M. Markey?, Sponsor of the Child Victims Act of NY The 13th Boy is a harrowing glimpse into the psychological process of grooming a teenager for sexual abuse. Fifes courageous telling of his personal story while a student at Horace Mann sheds light on a subject too long kept in the dark. -- Amos Kamil?, Author of Prep School Predators, New York Times Magazine?, Co-author of Great Is The Truth: the Secret History of Sexual Abuse at the Horace Mann School The 13th Boy is spot on, edgy, funny, insightful, and empathy-inspiring! With sharp wit and harrowing detail, in a voice true to teen experience, Steve Fife chronicles his psychological abduction by his revered mentor. I was reading at 5 AM until my Kindle fell out of my hands. -- Mindy Lewis?, Author of "Life Inside: A Memoir" "Abuse is too often presented as a crime that assaults its victims with sudden and searing violence. Steve Fifes rigorously honest portrait of the abuse that teachers visited upon teenagers at Horace Mann School in New York explores the much more troubling and insidious nature of abuse by teachers -- how a gifted teacher can be at once intellectually and emotionally alluring, yet also so controlling and manipulative as to sap the soul." -- Marc Fisher?, Senior Editor at the Washington Post?, Author of a New Yorker article on abuse at Horace Mann "Read this book! Steve Fifes courageous and vivid recounting of these painful experiences will help you to understand what it is like to go through this. If you know someone who was abused, please read this book and understand their experience. If you yourself were abused, then read this book and know that you are NOT ALONE." -- Joseph Cumming?, Pastor of the International Church at Yale University. Founder of the Horace Mann Survivors Not Alone group "The 13th Boy [is] a singular book, since readers are given a sense of understanding rather than being asked for pity. In taking us inside the mind of his younger self, Fife doesnt dwell on his victimhood, so we dont either. In this way Fife provides the best lesson of all for parents, giving hope that even when the worst happens, there is still the chance for recovery, even triumph." - Huffington Post Mother Jones once famously stated her personal motto: "Pray for the dead, but fight like hell for the living." Stephen Fife manages to do both at the same time with this remarkable, brave, and extraordinarily insightful book. I wish him all the best as he continues to heal and helps others to heal. He deserves nothing less. - Kevin Thomas Mulhern, defense attorney for abused children.More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Washington state
United States
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 155 mm
Weight
418 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-61457-112-4 (9781614571124)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification