Writers — Real People

Lee Bennett Hopkins delivered an inspiring keynote address, “Writers — Real People” last Wednesday morning at the TCRWP Writing Institute.  His keynote address seemed to have three parts.  First, he spoke about other authors and how they struggled to get published.  Second, Hopkins shared his background with the audience.  Third, Hopkins talked about the gifts we can give to children as writers.  Here are some highlights from each of the three parts.

Authors’ Are Real People Who Often Overcome Struggles:

Hopkins shared some facts about other authors he had interviewed through the years.  He told us about Dr. Seuss whose first book was rejected twenty times.  Madeline L’Engle had her manuscript rejected over twenty times too.  In fact, she was told science-fiction would never work for children (A Wrinkle in Time sure proved that wrong!).  Hopkins told us about Don Freeman, author of Courduroy.  Freeman  was a trumpet player who was working hard to try to earn enough money to come to New York to study art.  We learned about Ezra Jack Keats, who grew up in the United States during the Depression.  His father told him that if he became an artist he’d have a “terrible life” and would be “a bum.”  While Keats’s father supplied him with art materials, he always poo-pooed his career.  However, when Keats’s father died, he had to clean out his father’s wallet.  In doing so, he found clippings of articles about the awards he had won.  Clearly, his father was his silent admirer.

For me, the take-away message of this part of Hopkins’s speech, was two-fold.  First, if you want to become a published author, you will have to work hard.  Critics may tell you your writing isn’t any good.  You have to have a thick skin and persist.  If you do so, then you can make it in the publishing business.  Second, there will always be people who will tell us our writing or our art is a waste of time.  However, if writing or illustrating is your life’s goal, then don’t listen to the naysayers.  It’s possible they have dreams they haven’t chased and therefore they’re trying to squelch your desire to pursue your dreams.  Put on some blinders and carry on.  If you have a dream, chase after it and turn your dream into a reality.

Hopkins’s Background:

Lee Bennett Hopkins grew up in the housing projects of Newark, NJ.  His father left his mother with three kids.  she worked hard to collect whatever reading material she could for him, which was usually comic books and detective magazines from the dumbwaiter in the apartments where she served as the super.  His book, Been to Yesterdays: Poems of a Life, is a collection of poems that is about making it out of the projects.  It depicts his life, through poetry, when he was 13.  It’s filled with hope.  I remember reading it when I was a first-year teacher, which was quite a few years ago.  After hearing Hopkins speak and learning more about how he made it I know I want to read it again.

Thoughts on Children and Writing:

Regarding the anthologies he puts together, Hopkins said he strives to bring the best voices to youth through anthologies.  He also wants to bring “now” voices into his anthologies.  If you’ve picked up any of Lee Bennett Hopkins’s anthologies, you can tell he knows kids and the kinds of writing they will enjoy and relate to like no one else.

Hopkins said:

Children must read and listen to words that will uplift their lives, hope, love, strong feelings of self-worth.  We must give them this through writing.

Hopkins stressed the importance of telling children what wonderful gifts they are.  Some words he used, which I’m sure he’d be happy if we borrowed to use with children were:

You are a marvel.

You are unique.

In all the world, there’s no other child exactly like you.

You have the capacity for anything.

Hopkins implored the audience to guide children towards their dreams.  He asserted that dreams and writing mesh together.