Like his character Jack Tortis in the novel The Punk and the Professor, author Billy Lawrence dropped out of high school for 89 days. This book provides reflection on both the novel and the author's real life experiences as a dropout, a returning student, and then later as a teacher. 89 Days continues the novel's examination of family, school, and community. This collection also serves as a great introduction to the novel for those who haven't read the book yet. Included are two nonfiction essays, three new chapter outtakes cut from the final novel, five story excerpts from the novel in revised formats, and a preview chapter from the sequel.