Teenage Wasteland: How a High School Film Class Exposed a Toxic Secret in Small-Town America

By Derek Danforth

They thought it was just a school project. What they filmed instead was the truth everyone wanted buried.

In the 1990s, a handful of restless teenagers in Middletown, New York signed up for an unusual class - Electronic English - taught by a maverick named Fred Isseks. He handed them camcorders instead of textbooks and told them to "find a story worth telling."

What they found was a landfill no one talked about, trucks dumping in the dead of night, and a trail of silence that reached higher than anyone expected. Garbage, gangsters, and greed weren't just rumors - they were the ecosystem that their town quietly lived on.

Few people know that what began as a student film spiraled into a real investigation that shook local politics, challenged power, and nearly got their teacher fired. Years later, the lost footage resurfaced - proof that truth doesn't decompose, it just waits for better lighting.

Teenage Wasteland is the unforgettable true story of youth, rebellion, and the cost of asking questions in a town built on denial. Told with dark humor, raw honesty, and cinematic energy, Derek Danforth captures the absurd heroism of a generation that didn't know the rules - so they broke them.

What you're about to discover will change how you see small-town America, the classroom, and the fragile line between education and revolution.

Why this book matters: It's a rare true account of teenagers who exposed corruption before social media, when the only thing viral was courage.

What you'll gain: A story of justice, youth, and the dangerous beauty of truth caught on tape.

Who it's for: Fans of narrative nonfiction, true crime, environmental expos s, and anyone who believes stories can still change the world.

Ready to uncover the truth?

Get your copy of Teenage Wasteland today and press play on the story that was never meant to be seen.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FVT7TV4N
• ISBN13: 9798269326528
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 274 Pages
• Weight: 0.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"