The True Poet

A coming of age story about Joey Wheeler, an aspiring young musician who has to navigate the complexities of friendship in the midst of rumors, secrets, and betrayal. As an outsider, Joey has always relied on his two friends, Rodrigo and Wes. But when Wes becomes depressed and starts to pull away, and Rodrigo tries to participate in the school play without anyone knowing, Joey entangles himself in everyone else's problems--and only seems to make them worse. On top of all the drama, the world religions class he's taking causes Joey to question the philosophical matters of life and decide whether he's brave enough to stand up for other outsiders. Approximately 80,000 words.