James McSherry's life has consisted of struggles that most of us have only seen on TV. Despite his early hardships, James has become a successful educator, actor, author and playwright.

James McSherry is a graduate of The School of Fine Arts at Columbia University where he was the recipient of numerous writing fellowships. He graduated with a master of Fine Arts and his first book “A Clean Streets A Happy Street: A Bronx Memoir” was published in October of 2004. It was the recipient of the BRIO AWARD and was chosen for the “ Young Adult” collection in the New York Public Library.

McSherry’s short film “Poetry Man”  is inspired by a true story, a friend was arrested for a drug-related murder in Throgs Neck section of the Bronx in the late 1980s, while McSherry was at Columbia.

Actor Peter Greene ("The Bounty Hunter," "Pulp Fiction") starred as Nicky, the shooter. "NYPD Blue" producer Bill Clark does a cameo as a homicide detective. The real Nicky was sentenced to 25 years to life for the murder. He did 21 years and was freed just in time to attend a screening of "Poetry Man" in July 2010.