PLEASE RETURN TO: Norbert M. Finkelstein

Have you ever wondered, “What in the world is my teacher thinking?” You may not know it, but this very journal you now hold in your hands is the key to answering your question once and for all. As long as you can keep a few secrets. Mr. Finkelstein is your average middle school English teacher…who just happens to moonlight as a professional wrestler. Norbie would like to keep this little part of his life a secret. He’d much rather endure the daily bullying he takes from students like Jimmy Baker, a world-class bubblegum flinger, and perform as the personal gopher for inept colleagues like Coach Seam and Principal Rubrick. It’s easier that way. Out of the spotlight and under the radar: the story of Norbert’s life.But when he decides to throw his weight around in the ring so he can afford to send his always-supportive mother on a dream vacation to the Greek Isles, a past life and his squandered talent rise up to haunt him. Between his brutal training sessions with Sensei Clement, and the threats he receives from a shifty fight promoter named Joey Happenstance, Norbert must wrestles his way up the ranks by pinning an entire cast of zany opponents. But it takes a lonely student named Maya and Norbie’s secret crush, the school librarian Ms. Gluten, to help him find his true passion and the courage to face his toughest competition yet.

Although you’ll never catch Frank Morelli without a baseball hat on his head, he has actually worn various hats in his time. He’s been a teacher, a coach, a bagel builder, a stock boy, a pretzel salesman, a bus driver, a postal employee, a JC Penney model (see: clerk), a camp counselor, a roving sports reporter, and a nuclear physicist (okay, that’s not true). At heart, he’s a writer, and that’s all he’s ever been. Frank is the author of the young adult novel, No Sad Songs (2018). His short fiction and essays have appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, Philadelphia Stories, Jersey Devil Press, Change Seven Magazine, and Indiana Voice Journal, among others. His short story “In the Pen” was shortlisted for the 2015 Earl Weaver Prize, awarded annually by Cobalt Review. He was named a finalist in the 11th Annual NYC Midnight Short Story Competition. He has written numerous articles and essays for the young adult and children’s market, including features in Highlights for Children Magazine, Stories for Children, Youth Imagination Magazine, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Frank is a Philadelphia native who graduated from Albright College with a degree in English, and moved to New York City to become a teaching fellow. He earned an MFA in Fiction from National University while living in a house under the trees with his best friend and muse, their obnoxious alley cat, and two hundred pounds worth of dog. You can connect with him on Twitter @frankmoewriter.