about the book
Josh Sundquist is many things: paralympic skier, motivational speaker, video blogger, and cancer survivor.
But he is not, nor has ever been, a boyfriend—unless you count those twenty-three hours in the eighth grade.
Josh came to this realization at twenty-five. At the time he thought he did have a girlfriend, but he was very wrong. Charlotte did have a boyfriend, but it wasn’t him. What went wrong?
To answer this question, he decided to examine the events of his failed relationships, made some hypotheses, tracked down the girls he tried to date, and asked them. What went wrong? Why didn’t you like me? Why did you reject me? He then compared their answers with his hypotheses.
The results are documented here. And yes, the interviews are just as awkward as the dates.
about the author
Josh Sundquist has a long resume. He’s a paralympic skier, motivational speaker, video blogger, and bestselling author. All of those careers are the result of being diagnosed with a rare bone cancer when he was nine years old.
He spent a year on chemotherapy treatments, after which his left leg was amputated. At thirteen, doctors declared Josh cancer free.
Three years later, Josh took up ski racing. Skiing was one activity that he could do where he was just as fast as everyone who had two legs. It was also a way to be a competitive athlete, something that he wasn’t able to do as a kid because he was receiving chemo. In 2006, Josh was named to the US Paralympic Ski Team. He is the only person in history to have been named to both the US Paralympic Ski Team and the US Amputee Soccer Team.
His book We Should Hang Out Sometime chronicles how by the age twenty-five he’d never had a girlfriend—but not for a lack of trying. In the book he asks the girls he tried to date: “What went wrong?” He came up with the idea before he’d ever had a girlfriend. His literary agent figured it wasn’t the right time to write the book because of this fact, but once Josh had been dating his now fiancé for a few years, his agent said, “Remember that book idea you had? Maybe now’s the time.”
Josh loves Halloween. See this website for pictures of some of his epic costumes.
He once permed his hair with a five-day perm kit. It lasted for nine months.
Josh has a business degree from the College of William and Mary, as well as a master’s in communications from the University of Southern California. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Sources:
Author website
Author interview: Bustle
Author interview: Northern Virginia Magazine
Also by Josh Sundquist:
Just Don’t Fall : A Hilariously True Story of Childhood, Cancer, Amputation, Romantic Yearning, Truth, and Olympic Greatness. Penguin. 2010.
read more!
Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos
Many know Jack Gantos as a talented writer but few know that age twenty, his life was far different. This autobiographical novel is intended for older students rather than the pre-teens he normally writes for. In it, Jack relates how he became a drug user, was arrested for smuggling 2000 pounds of hashish into New York City, and did prison time. Learn about his fears, failings, and false starts, how he turned his life around, and how he ended up an award-winning author.
Just Don’t Fall : A Hilariously True Story of Childhood, Cancer, Amputation, Romantic Yearning, Truth, and Olympic Greatness by Josh Sundquist
Josh was nine when he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, which resulted in his left leg being amputated. In this honest and humorous book, Josh shows readers what life was like during treatment and after losing his leg; how he transitioned into public school after being homeschooled; and the tenacity he needed to become a Paralymic skier.
Positive by Paige Rawl
Paige relates how she was born with HIV and grew up symptom free thanks to medication. In middle school, she confided to a friend who betrayed her trust and spread the rumor that Paige had AIDS. Before long, she was being harassed and bullied. The school administration and the teachers turned their backs on her. In high school, she fell into suicidal despair. Learn how she fought back to reclaim her life and became an anti-bullying advocate.