Stefan Merrill Block’s new memoir Homeschooled dissects the five years his mother kept him out of public school in Plano, Texas, revealing how isolation shaped his identity, family bonds, and later advocacy for stricter oversight of home education.
At a Glance
- Block was homeschooled from fourth through eighth grade at his mother’s insistence
- The isolation fueled his mother’s paranoia and alcoholism while he drew monsters and did math alone
- The memoir links personal trauma to national gaps in homeschooling regulation
- Why it matters: spotlights legal blind spots that can leave children academically and socially at risk
Block begins with a nine-year-old’s memory: standing on a suburban creek cliff, calculating how badly he must injure himself to shock his once-vibrant mother back to her old self. The family had recently moved from Indiana to Plano, and her mood swings had turned to withdrawal. When the fall fails to register, the boy’s sullen compliance becomes the catalyst for her decision to pull him from school.
Five Years Outside the System
For half a decade Block studied at home:
- Created elaborate science-fiction creatures in notebooks
- Read whatever he found poolside
- Completed math lessons his mother assigned
- Wandered local malls alone while neighbors attended class
He writes that even as a child he sensed the holes in this education-no science lab, no group projects, no consistent benchmarks. His mother, meanwhile, tightened her grip, convinced she was protecting him from an increasingly hostile world.
Return to School, Lingering Effects
Re-entry to public school in ninth grade felt like landing on another planet. Block describes:
- Awkward social navigation after years without peer contact
- Academic gaps-especially in lab sciences and group-work skills
- A quick realization that “homeschooled” was a label that both explained and isolated him
The memoir tracks how those formative years echo through college and into adulthood, shaping friendships, romantic relationships, and his eventual career as a writer.
A Mother’s Decline
Block renders his mother’s alcoholism and paranoia without vilification. Key scenes include:
- Her refusal to let him attend neighborhood birthday parties
- Late-night monologues about government plots
- Empty gin bottles hidden under the kitchen sink
Yet he balances these moments with memories of her sharp wit and early devotion, creating a portrait that is neither apology nor condemnation. The adult author interjects historical data showing how Texas law in the 1990s required no annual assessments, leaving parents nearly unchecked once they filed intent-to-homeschool paperwork.
A Call for Oversight
The memoir closes on policy ground. Block argues for:
- Mandatory annual academic assessments for homeschoolers
- Required documentation of subjects taught
- Minimum access to extracurricular activities or co-ops
- Periodic wellness checks by neutral educators
He notes the label that once embarrassed him now offers instant community among alumni who share similar gaps. Still, he insists regulation must catch up to protect students from the kind of academic and emotional seclusion he experienced.
Book Event
Stefan Merrill Block will discuss Homeschooled at First Light Books on January 29, 2026, at 7 p.m. The reading is free and open to the public.
Key Takeaways
- Block’s five-year homeschool experience left academic and social gaps that took years to close
- Texas law at the time provided virtually no oversight, amplifying parental control
- The memoir pairs personal narrative with a national critique of lax homeschooling regulation
- The author now advocates for standards ensuring safety, academic rigor, and social access
