Small Moments
In Chalk Stain: A Memoir of Nothing but Lies, you revisit your fourth-grade years in 1985 and 1986 with a generous helping of sarcasm, exaggeration, and laugh-out-loud storytelling. What aspects of growing up in the 1980s do you believe are most difficult to explain to younger generations?
I think I was part of the last generation to live moments just to live them. There’s something beautiful about a moment that’s lived fully and then just melts away.
Looking back, what do you think children of your generation gained from growing up without the constant presence of digital technology?
A level of freedom unimaginable to today’s kids. Technology is amazing–it just doesn’t need to be a part of every moment. Sometimes technology can be a book, and that can make for just as rich an experience as it did in 1900.
How has your adult perspective changed the way you interpret events and relationships that once seemed straightforward during childhood?
I learned how precious the small moments are. The moments we think we’ll forget become the moments that stay with us forever.
What do you hope readers who grew up in the 1980s will recognize about their own experiences, and what might younger readers discover about that era?
As I was writing, I realized that it’s wonderful to revisit the past–just don’t live there.
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There were hilariously bad haircuts, swamps full of turtles, one gloriously chaotic dog with a name that wouldn’t fly today, and a skinny white-haired kid nicknamed Chalk Stain trying to survive a world gone crazy.
This is that kid’s story—told the way childhood happens: over-the-top, occasionally unbelievable, and truer than the facts alone could ever be.
Some memories fade with the acid-washed jeans of youth.
The best ones become the lies worth telling.
Language Warning: There is profanity in this book. Some of it was said by my playground buddies. Some of it was said by adults. Some of it was said by me. In my defense, it was 1985.
Posted on October 24, 2026, in Interviews and tagged author, bio, biography, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, bookblogger, books, books to read, bookshelf, Chalk Stain: A Memoir of Nothing but Lies, ebook, goodreads, indie author, Jonathan DeCoteau, kindle, kobo, literature, nonfiction, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, story, writer, writing. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
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