I Like Run-On Sentences But How Do You Guys Feel About Them No Really
Jamie refers to himself as a "grammar bandit," and boy, is he ever. Here, have a sample sentence:
We stopped at a Motel 6 way on the west side of Missouri like near the border in this town called Joplin and when we checked in to the motel the man at the front desk asked Alan Skymer if I was his son and Alan Skymer said "Nephew" and patted me on the head and I played along and called him Uncle. (5.4)
The only way you're getting through that sentence in one breath is if you breathe in deeply first. Like, super deeply. Here's another example:
Then Sam's mom looked at me in the rearview mirror again and asked me if anyone had touched me inappropriately and I shook my head and then she asked me if I got into a fight with my boyfriend and I shook my head again and then she asked me if I was absolutely sure that I didn't want to call anyone. (8.46)
Commas? What commas? Punctuation is for suckers… or fourteen-year-olds who are in school instead of hitching their way around the country. And because of this, the writing style really helps us appreciate how young Jamie is. His letters stand in stark contrast to those of the people who write him, all of whom are older and more settled than our main man.