A brief history
I was born in 1957, two miles from Comiskey Park, then home of the White Sox, on Chicago’s South Side. Bridgeport, if you know Chicago’s neighborhoods.
My family moved to the Chicago Western Suburbs in the mid-1960s. I transferred from Chicago’s St. Barbara’s Elementary School to St. Barbara’s Elementary / Middle School in Brookfield, Illinois (where the zoo is). I graduated from Lyons Twp. High School in 1975. I attended the University of Illinois at Chicago my first two undergraduate years, then transferred to The University of Iowa for my last two years. I stayed for a master’s degree in Expository Writing. I married, moved to Philadelphia, earned a MA in Bilingual/Bicultural Studies at LaSalle University on Broad Street.
My ex-wife decided that Philly was too big-city for us, so she chose a new job near Carlisle in the south-central part of Pennsylvania. The town where they have car shows all summer, and where the turnpike intersects with Route 81. I took a job teaching English at Big Spring High School in bucolic Newville, PA. I parted company with my ex-wife, got remarried, bought a home, and have been in Carlisle ever since. I retired from high school teaching during the height of Covid in June of 2020.
My ex-wife decided that Philly was too big-city for us, so she chose a new job near Carlisle in the south-central part of Pennsylvania. The town where they have car shows all summer, and where the turnpike intersects with Route 81. I took a job teaching English at Big Spring High School in bucolic Newville, PA. I parted company with my ex-wife, got remarried, bought a home, and have been in Carlisle ever since. I retired from high school teaching during the height of Covid in June of 2020.
Since retirement I have been writing full-time. I’ve written two Young Adult novels. In 2024 I rewrote my second novel, changing it from a Coming of Age story to a Thriller.
I have three wonderful children who are currently residing in Burlington, Vermont, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Evanston, Illinois. We have enjoyed sharing our lives with two yellow labs: Metro and Ajax.
Having been brought up on them, I continue to eat White Castles hamburgers at every opportunity. No one in my family can stand them.
Tales from Robert J. Hankes Jr.
Four questions. Four ridiculous, unbelievable, but nevertheless true answers.
What was the silliest thing you ever did while teaching?
On February 2nd of a year long ago, one of my students who liked to hunt brought to class his stuffed groundhog. The class spent the rest of the period creating a “Happy Groundhog’s Day” poster. We set up a table in the lobby of the “old” high school, taped the poster to it, placed the groundhog on it, just in time for 2:51 pm dismissal.
What’s your go-to vacation paradise?
Aruba. My wife and I have visited twice and we love it there. On our last trip we took a bus tour of the entire island (almost), from the Alto Vista Church in Noord on down to Baby Beach in San Nicolaas. We need to return to see Arikok National Park. And sit on the beach some more.
Where is my youngest son studying the flute?
He’s working on a master’s degree in flute performance at Northwestern University. It’s a bit ironic because he’s 56 minutes from Elk Grove Village, where my father worked as a printer most of his life, and 62 minutes from were I was born.
What was my favorite car?
My first car, a 1963 Triumph Herald convertible. My father gave it to me. He said if I could get it running, it was mine. It took every mechanically-minded male in in Brookfield, but we got ‘er going.