The Basketball Diaries: The Classic About Growing Up Hip On New York’s Mean Streets

Jim was born after World War II, during the Cold War, and spent his youth in the midst of the Vietnam War. How did this impact his habits and outlook on life?

Why do you think Jim becomes addicted to heroin as a teenager? What external and internal factors lead to his addiction, and what does he mean by being pure?

Jim’s autobiography is presented in the form of an edited authentic diary he kept from ages 12-16. What effects does this choice have on the clarity and reliability of his narration?

Throughout his diary entries, Jim regularly describes his isolation. Why does Jim feel isolated despite living in a crowded place like New York?

Many of Jim’s diary entries center on race and gender/sexuality-related tensions that he either experiences or witnesses. Compare the cultural norms and views of race, gender, and sexuality in the mid-1960s to those of today.

Jim writes honestly, often vulgarly, and occasionally poetically. What does his writing style say about his personality?

Sports, particularly basketball, are central to Jim’s life throughout much of his youth and make up the title of his memoir—The Basketball Diaries. What draws Jim to sports? What do they symbolize?

Jim’s memoir begins when he is 12 and ends when he is 16. Examine how Jim changes in relation to one of the Themes (i.e., purity, war, alienation) during these years—and what factors lead to these changes.