The Sonny Chronicles Volume I

About the Book

B.G.P., Tha’ Berch’, Weed Gardens…” All nicknames representing a neighborhood - Berchwin Gardens Projects!  Berchwin was a Garden because of the talented budding youth housed in the neighborhood.  Hundreds of bright young children ran in courtyards, on playgrounds and in hallways of a Garden. That Garden budded youth that blossomed into adults affected by the ills of the projects.  Some say it is hard to have a Garden in the Projects because there is rarely even one rose that grows from concrete.  There are a few success stories of those who escaped from B.G.P.’s, finding success and never returning, but those stories are not told for inspiration but rather disgust. One thing about those housed in this Project Garden, unity was essential.  Poverty had a vise grip on those of Berchwin but close inter – family bonds gave Berchwin a sense of community pride.

Even with the common ills of the projects; dysfunctional families, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, disease and poverty Tha’ Berch was home to a special budding star.  A star that was destined to represent the Garden… This young rose of “Weed Gardens” was destined because those before him of the same lineage and genes struggled.  That struggle was passed down through painful family issues that created a youngster focused on not being like “them.”  Meet that youngster… Meet that star… Meet that rose amongst weeds…. See life through his eyes… Tobe Carberry and Samont Washington Present; The Sonny Chronicles, Volume One: First Things Learned Are Hardest to Forget.

About the Author

Two Authors.

Samont Washington entered college on a basketball scholarship in pursuit of his NBA Dream. He attended The University of New Haven where he earned All American honors while balancing books and ball, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management.  Samont returned home to New Jersey and persued a Masters of Arts in Special Education and landed a job teaching.  ’Experience as a Special Education teacher and Counselor in the New Jersey school system afforded him an opportunity to bond with young boys and girls.  Hearing their stories coupled with those from his own experiences had a positive impact on his imagination and subsequent creative writing talents.  The Sonny Chronicles is the collaborative effort of two young men who were opponents on the basketball court in New England; but while working a summer basketball camp together were smart enough to strike up a conversation about something other than basketball.  They found out that each had a penchant for writing.  Basketball has given youth not two more NBA players, but two young African American urban writers to look up to; Samont Washington and Tobe Carberry. 

Tobe Carberry, born in Baltimore, MD and raised in Connecticut, dreamed of becoming an NBA star. Tobe attended The University of Vermont – where he had a stellar four year career. After graduating from Vermont with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English, Tobe played in the NBA's Developmental League, in Ireland, Austria and Hungary for several years.  Disappointed that his ambition to become a NBA player was not happening; Tobe began to bring out of reserve his book knowledge.  He taught Language Arts at a transition school while gaining experience in college coaching.   Presently, Tobe is the Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at University of New Haven.