Randall Platt

THE CORNERSTONE

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The Cornerstone takes place in 1944, toward the end of the Second World War, but far away from the action. Ian McKenzie, a bright fifteen-year-old street kid ready to take anyone on, has been sent to a Puget Sound summer camp to be straightened out. Andy Ackerman, the counselor assigned to the camp's charity cases, is a young man fresh from the war in the Pacific, angry, demanding, unorthodox.

Ian and his cabin of outcasts spend the summer building a chimney and fireplace for the camp's lodge, while all the other kids are out playing games and singing 'round the campfire. Through Ackerman's tough love and the sharing of a strenuous task, Ian learns to solve problems, from finding and unearthing rocks for the chimney to finding a way to get along with a street kid from a rival neighborhood. He gains pride and a sense of honor and, as Ackerman unveils his dark secrets, Ian learns to cope with fears and responsibilities he's never imagined. Most important, he learns how to care for someone else and to care about his own life. It is Ackerman's values and Ackerman's tragedy that form the cornerstone of Ian's life and make this novel something truly special and moving. This coming-of-age story is framed by Ian's return to the camp fifty years later, as a naval admiral, and his eventual discovery of Ackerman's final secret.

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Reviews

"This is an appealing coming-of-age story about a troubled young man. ...Platt's fifth novel is emotionally powerful and skillfully crafted."
---Library Journal

"Platt creates a moving relationship...that survives the ravages of 48 years, and provides an inspirational ending."
---Publishers Weekly

"Excellent story which keep interest high... Recommended highly."
---Children’s Book Review Service

"The Cornerstone’s appeal is as American as ‘United We Stand, Divided We Fall.’ In this novel, pugnacious individualists, at a desperate but appropriate moment in their lives,
unite and define a last legacy."
---Actor/director Tom Skerritt
upon optioning this title for film

TEN CHANGES I'VE MADE TO BOOST MY CREATIVITY

STOPPED LISTENING TO AUDIO BOOKS - I love being read to, but I can't think about MY stories while listening to someone else's story. So, unless it's a long, boring drive or flight, I no longer listen to audio books. Instead, I think about my current project.
CREATE MY OWN SOUNDTRACK - I create IPod "soundtracks" for my own work in progress. I create a playlist of the tunes which inspire my story and characters.
CUT BACK ON THE FREE ADVICE - I am the sort who will stop and talk to anyone, anywhere about anything. So I don't answer letters or phone calls, but will zap a quick email instead.
SET REALISTIC GOALS - Just because I CAN write fast, does not mean I should, so I no longer try to get it written in two months.
FEWER GROUPS AND FORUMS - I used to belong to several writers forums, clubs and newsgroups, but now only belong to a few and I open my yap only when I have something important to add.
PICK MY BATTLES - Too many things far outside of my control were taking control of my time and mental energies. So, I write fewer letters, join fewer campaigns and stick to the business at hand - being a writer.
TOOK COMPUTER GAMES OFF MY COMPUTER - A minute here and a minute there adds up to vanished hours. I now play only ONE game a day - and that is a crossword puzzle the first thing in the morning to make my head come to life.
CUT BACK ON INTERNETING - Well, if you have read this far, maybe you need to do the same thing. Nah, just joking. Keep Reading. Number 10 scores!
TAKE WORK AND MUSIC EVERYWHERE - I am never without my work-bag. The time we spend waiting adds up. So, even if there is a ghost of a chance that I will be kept waiting wherever I go, I know I will fill that time with work.
TAKE SUNDAYS OFF - Okay, as you can see from the above nine items, I am a workaholic and it's taken me many, many years to realize I need one day to recharge, rethink and reset. Sunday is for family, food, reflection, and many times, sipping champagne. So when 4 am Monday rolls in, I am set for another week.... providing there hasn't been too much of that champagne thing.