Jonathan Arkin(I)

Jonathan's high school homeroom - and creative writing - teacher was Frank McCourt, who encouraged him to continue writing his trademark haiku poetry. Occasionally, McCourt would bring in drafts of an autobiographical work he was working on at the time, asking Jonathan's class if they wouldn't mind hearing some passages read to them. Those drafts became the basis for the Pulitzer Prize-winning 'Angela's Ashes.'.

The worst argument I ever had with my father was when I insulted his pantomime world's patron saints - which of course are clowns. I said that I hated clowns. He responded "No, you don't hate clowns, Jon. Clowns hate you."