Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

FAIR HAVEN MAN TURNS FEARS INTO STORIES

Drazin with young fans at the Eastern Branch of the Monmouth County Library earlier this month. (Photo by Alexis Orlacchio. Click to enlarge)

By ALEXIS ORLACCHIO

Justin Drazin did not originally plan to add the title “children’s author” to his résumé, but what started out as a short piece to show family and friends has evolved into a trilogy of whimsical tales. And along the way, the Fair Haven-raised environmental policy student  turned one of his childhood fears into a captivating bedtime story for kids.

Drazin, 24, recalls being terrified of the dark when he was younger.  “I had a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of going back and forth to my parents’ room,” he said, removing his brown thick-framed glasses during a recent interview.  “It’s an age-long fear. Everyone goes through it at some point.”

Written from the point of view of a little boy afraid of the dark, “Albert and the Amazing Pillow Monsters” is the first installment of the dreamland-centered series.

Located “just at the end of the blanket wave,” Albert travels to meet the monsters of the pillow cave, and discovers there’s nothing frightening about these cottony creatures.

“The monsters are telling him he has this imagination and creativity,” Drazin said. “Once you embrace that, then you can really get through your fear.”

As a child himself, Drazin said, he was captivated “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, which has remained a favorite of his, as have the works of Dr. Seuss. “I was very passionate about reading when I was younger, and a lot of picture books are what got me through being afraid of the dark,” he said.

According to Drazin, creative writing was a hobby throughout his high school years. He said Eric “Gus” Gustavson, an English teacher at the Peddie School in Highstown,  inspired him to explore his writing more in-depth. “Along with being a great teacher, he is a great friend and mentor,” he said.

Drazin said he wanted to create a story that would help children with their fears. “When you see something you can connect with, it puts your mind at ease about the things you’re terrified of,” He said. “You can get through it and once you do it you can help other people through it.”

The total process took about six months, he said.

“It started out as maybe a six- or eight-line poems, and it just builds on itself,” he said.

When he finished the story, Drazin began the search for an illustrator. After examining about 75 submissions, he selected a piece created by Australian singer/songwriter Anita Lester. “This one just caught my eye,” he said.  “I told her I wanted a cave scene with a young boy by fire and a pillow monster. I told her to take it wherever she wanted to.”

Drazin was impressed with Lester’s work. “She created something beautiful,” he said. The picture that landed Lester the job is featured in the book.

The second and third installments of the series have been completed. The second book focuses on the dream Albert has the following night, a dream takes place on a beach, which Drazin said reminded him of home.

“I love the beach, and my family is still in Fair Haven,” he said.  His father, Brian Drazin, is a partner in the well-known Red Bank law firm Drazin and Warshaw, which was started by his grandfather, Louis Drazin.

In addition to children’s stories, Drazin also enjoys writing screenplays more suit for his age cohort. “It’s just something that I like to do,” he said. “It gets you away from normal everyday life. You can write about whatever you want.”

Drazin, who lives in New York City, graduated from Columbia University in December with a master’s in sustainability management. Ideally, he said he would like to have a career in the environmental field.

But no matter what career path he chooses, Drazin said he plans to continue writing, and he urges others with the yen to do the same.

“A lot of people have ideas for books and never go through with them,” he said.  A lot of work and preparation goes into the final product, he said, “but it’s definitely worth it.”

Justin Drazin is scheduled to appear at Sickles Market for “Kids Day” on Sunday and again at River Road Books in Fair Haven on Saturday, May 4th, at 2 p.m.

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
Partyline
RED TRUCKS AT RED ROCK
A small dishwasher fire at Red Rock Tap and Grill was put out quickly by firefighters overnight, causing minimal damage. Red Bank Fire Depar ...
CREATIVE COVER UP
The windows of Pearl Street Consignment on Monmouth Street were smashed when a driver crashed their car through them injuring an employee la ...
THEY’RE BACK!
Ospreys returned to the skies over Red Bank this week for the first time since they migrated to warmer climes in late fall. With temperature ...
SPRING IS SPRUNG
RED BANK: Spring 2024 arrives on the Greater Red Bank Green with the vernal equinox at 11:06 p.m. Tuesday.
RED BANK’S FINEST – AND NEWEST
Red Bank Police Officer Eliot Ramos was sworn in as the force’s newest patrolman Thursday, and if you’re doing a double take thinkin ...
EASTER EGG MAYHEM AT THE PARK
An errant whistle spurred an unexpectedly early start to the Spring Egg Hunt on Sunday, which had been scheduled to begin at eggsactly 11am ...
PRESEASON DOCKWORK
RED BANK: With winter winding down, marina gets ready for boating season with some dockwork on our beautiful Navesink River.
CORNED BEEF AND DISCO FRIES?
It’s Friday, and smart Lent-observing Leprechauns know the pot of gold at the end of Red Bank’s rainbow is actually the deliciou ...
SURFBOARD DITCHED
It’s a violation of etiquette in surfing to ditch your board.  (it could hit another surfer and hurt them). But someone appears to ha ...
ELSIE, TAKE ME WITH YOU!
Soaked by pouring rain with the temperature hovering in the low 40’s, this sign in the window of Elsie’s Subs on Monmouth Street ...
WALK THIS WAY
PARTYLINE: Before-and-afters of a sidewalk cleanup on West Street.
SOGGY NOTION
RED BANK: Breezeway sculpture captured the mood downtown as heavy rains fell Saturday morning.
HOME DELIVERY
RED BANK: After a subdivision, an instant house rises on a new Catherine Street lot.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
For Black History Month, Red Bank's Community Engagement and Equity Advisory Committee has been running a series of local profiles on Facebo ...
HEARTY FAREWELL FOR HARDY
RED BANK: Council to honor DPU supervisor Rich Hardy, who retired recently after almost 39 years of keeping things running.
HOMEBOUND? READ ON…
RED BANK: Can't get to the public library? It's now offering free delivery and pickups for homebound borough residents.
TAMING A BEAST OF A WEEK
RED BANK: After the second snowfall of the week, a borough family finds the perfect use for it – a Godzilla snow sculpture.
RED BANK: LIBRARY CLOSED, BUT THE HILL’S OPEN
RED BANK: Though the library was closed by a snowstorm, kids got to enjoy the riverfront property's steep slope Tuesday.
LIGHT(HOUSE) MAKEOVER
This year, getting ready for spring means a midwinter makeover for Strollo's Lighthouse in Red Bank.
TODAY: LOCAL PUPPY COMPETES ON ANIMAL PLANET’S “PUPPY BOWL”
Red Bank’s very own rescue puppy, Biscuit, is set to compete in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl this Sunday, February 11, at 2 PM. Th ...