Found Wanting

When Robert Howard is assigned to read James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man in high school, he strongly identifies with its protagonist, Stephen Dedalus, as he grows up in 1970s Detroit, navigating complex family dynamics, faith, and desire. As an adult, Howard re-examines his initial responses to the novel and reflects on how his perceptions have changed over time. Found Wanting combines literary memoir, a reappraisal of a classic, and a thoughtful critique of art’s role in personal growth.