From chasing tennis balls to publishing novels, author Jon Hart can do it all

New York author Jon Hart discusses the writing process for his most recent book release, “Party School.” Photo courtesy of Jon Hart

Based out of New York, author Jon Hart doesn’t consider himself a novelist, despite having published two books. 

He also does not consider himself an athlete, despite embarking on adventures to learn professional wrestling moves (subsequently landing himself in the hospital), spending a season on an amateur football team, serving as a U.S. Open ball boy for three years, along with caddying for golfers, leading a roller basketball league in rebounds and sporting a neon gorilla mascot suit in front of thousands of hockey fans — all of which are detailed in his first book “Man versus Ball.” 

Though Hart may not consider himself an author or an athlete, the results speak for themselves. Pivoting from nonfiction, Hart draws upon his experiences at the University of Vermont in order to complete his debut fiction novel, “Party School,” published in 2022.

“Party School” follows underachiever Dylan Mills who faces relationship problems with his girlfriend, Rosemary Silversmith, after they graduate high school and he heads off to college. With Dylan attending his hometown college, notorious for its crazy parties, his high school sweetheart goes to “the kind of school parents brag about.” The two struggle to make it work during their time apart, and Dylan’s life soon becomes filled with college shenanigans as he finds out who he truly is, while leaving little space for Rosemary in his heart.

“I got one (book) down, and (I’ll) see if I can do it again and again and again,” Hart said. “I've done nonfiction and wanted to try a novel and I wanted to do a fun coming-of-age story. I wanted to be very relatable but somewhat different.”

While the novel is essentially fiction, there are aspects that Hart drew from his own life experiences. He inserts himself into the main character Dylan who mirrors some of Hart's own college experiences such as a streaking episode across a football field.

“I remember that feeling (of being in college), and that's real,” Hart said. “The feeling of going through all those things for pretty much the first time. The euphoria. The heartbreak. Everything is very heightened, so I drew on that.”

Hart told The Panther that writing about personal experiences can bring up a plethora of emotions. It can be both difficult and cathartic. Yet, the end result is always something to be proud of, even if it takes rewrite after rewrite. Hart describes his writing process as just that — endless cycles of writing that sometimes, when he’s lucky, lead to the success of a first draft.

“I try to get a general idea of what I’m going to (write) and then try and execute it even when I don't want to,” Hart said. “Part of the process is writing and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting and then pushing the first draft out and getting to the end. I'm still perfecting my process. I wish it were easy.”

The non-linear structure of writing is something all writers understand. Sometimes, there’s a spark — that thing you’ve been waiting for. Other times, just getting letters on the page is an uphill battle. Hart seeks to push through the dull moments of writer's block and continue to produce written work until he does consider himself a novelist. 

“I'm working on another novel,” said Hart. “I'm trying to churn it out and you want to recapture the magic and sometimes you're doubting yourself about all kinds of things. It's an imperfect process.”

Although Hart’s novel started out being titled as “Safety School,” the stories in the book more so encapsulated the wild antics of Dylan’s college life. As such, it was only fitting to title the book “Party School,” a term that describes certain universities' reputation for party culture. 

Despite the challenges of getting his book out in a crowded market, Hart has received positive feedback, earning a 3.8 star rating on Goodreads and a perfect 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon. However, Hart claims to rarely read these reviews.

“(The reception has) been good and I'm working on getting it out there,” Hart said. “(The book selection) is crowded. There's so many things out there so you have to work. It was hard to begin with and it's harder now but there's definitely an audience for this.”

Ultimately, Hart wrote the book as a way to express the stories and nostalgia he and other current and former college students share. 

“I don't hear from every person who reads it, but a lot of people will walk away with different things,” Hart said. “They might be into it for the romantic angle. Some people might like it for the comedy. Some older people might appreciate the parental angle. But if there's one thing I would say it’s this: It's not the brand of the school, it’s the character of the student. And that's what I think is the biggest takeaway.”

Hart told The Panther one of his favorite ways to pass the time when he isn’t writing is by watching popular Netfllix dating show, “Love Is Blind.” It’s the perfect way to distract himself from the endless grind of writing another book with some mind-numbing reality television. 

Hart's unconventional path to becoming an author serves as a reminder that there is not a single "right" way to pursue a creative career. By drawing on his unique experiences and following his passion, Hart has succeeded in bringing his own unique voice to the literary world and offers advice to those who may wish to do the same.

“(Potential authors) should do what I haven't been doing — read,” Hart said. “Draw inspiration. Classes sometimes help either in college and exchanging ideas with classmates. That can be a lot of fun.”

“Party School” can be found for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or anywhere else online where books are sold.