Where A Man Stands

This is my latest Kindle read, and despite my really enjoying it, I could never remember the title to pass it on to friends looking for a good read.

Carter Paysinger and Steve Fenton have written this memoir-ish book together, and I found myself quickly sucked in.

Carter Paysinger grew up on the wrong side of the tracks with loving parents who instilled in him and his siblings the need for always doing their best and hard work.  He attended high school outside his neighborhood, travelling to Beverly Hills High where he rubbed elbows with the children of the rich and famous.

Paysinger had the talent and determination to do nearly anything, yet he chose to remain at Beverly where he spent his career teaching and coaching high school students.  One of those students, Steve Fenton, changed Paysinger's life.

The bond that Fenton and Paysinger shared as a coach and player was special, but after he graduated Fenton drifted away, and the two didn't meet up again until many years later.  By that time, Paysinger was contemplating a career change for himself, not sure that he wanted to spend his entire life at his high school alma mater.

The work these two men undertake cements their relationship with each other, but also changes Beverly Hills High, a school precious to both of them.

Where A Man Stands is an easy read as it traces Carter Paysinger's life from his childhood throughout his career. He shares the ups and downs in both his personal and professional life, and does a good job of exploring race and what it means to be a black man in America, giving examples of his own experiences.

An incidental side note: Steve Fenton is married to Leeza Gibbons, something I didn't realize until I came upon the photos at the end of the book.  Had I read a print version and not the kindle version, I would have discovered this much sooner.