The Upper School welcomed Don P. Hooper to meet with students during a special author visit on Feb. 27 in the Berry Performing Arts Center. He shared details of his complex journey to becoming an author, which began as a child writing stories on his older sister’s typewriter and led to the creation of a short story on the New York Times bestseller list and eventually a novel.
Mr. Hooper, a writer and filmmaker of Jamaican heritage, is a multi-talented author, poet and voice actor. He grew up in Brooklyn, attended Xavier Prep in New York City and earned a Computer Science degree at the University of Pennsylvania. He’s always loved science but writing is what excites him. His short story “Got Me a Jet Pack” is part of the New York Times bestselling anthology Black Boy Joy.
Ninth-grade English students in Ms. Michelle Penny’s class recently read True True, Mr. Hooper’s debut novel which tells the story of a Black teen from Brooklyn who struggles to fit in at his almost entirely white Manhattan prep school, resulting in a fight and a plan for vengeance. Ms. Penny’s class studied the characterization, theming, and plot details of the book. As the students read each chapter, they engaged in active discussions and were clearly very passionate about the text. After they finished reading, they compiled questions they wanted to ask the author and were very eager to meet him.
After he spoke with all Upper School students, Mr. Hooper enjoyed a more intimate discussion with the students who read his book. Students asked questions about his writing process, the characters, the basis of the story as it related to his life, his favorite parts of the book, lessons for readers to take from the book, and more. Students were also invited to share their feedback with the author.
“The Q&A was a wonderful opportunity for them to hear more about their favorite characters and the inspiration behind them. There was even an opportunity for the students to tell Mr. Hooper about which character they liked most. Afterward, he signed their books, taking the time to talk to each student, ask their names, and even read through some of their annotations of his work,” Ms. Penny said. “Overall, it was an incredible experience and wonderful opportunity for our Upper School, especially the ninth grade class.”