Author’s
Bio: Glen Leroy Mourning was born on
March 26, 1987 in Danbury, Connecticut and has been blessed with the
opportunity to lead by example where he would become the first of two
generations to not only graduate from high school, but to complete a master’s
degree.
In 2005
Glen earned a Full-Athletic Scholarship to attend the University of
Connecticut. In 2010 Glen finished his master’s degree in Elementary Education
and was named the Student teacher of the year at the University of Bridgeport.
Since then, Glen worked alongside the nationally renowned Educational
contributor Dr. Steve Perry, Star of the CNN Special "Black in America
II" and the host of TV One's "Save our Sons".
As a
master 4th and 5th grade language arts teacher Glen has managed to brilliantly
inspire the lives of hundreds of students in his tenure as an
educator. His greatest accomplishments are not those that have occurred on
the playing fields across America but rather with his promise to his family
that he has kept which was to become the motivation for his students that have
come from similar circumstances.
DL:
What inspired you to write your books?
GM: As a reading teacher I recognized that literature in
mainstream curriculum excluded a very essential and powerful narrative. Most
kid’s stories about children of color are very surface level and some at best
offer themes of “never giving up” or becoming a better person. However, in
order for struggling readers and kids who generally refuse to read, it isn’t
because they don’t want to engage in the process. Most of my students over the
years have refused to read because they weren’t able to fully invest in a book
or in a story. Kids have a hard time genuinely relating to a character or a
setting/plot. I wrote Crunchy Life for kids, both in urban America and Suburbia
to feel the character’s pain. They have to see themselves in an authentic
way.
DL:
Describe your writing process? Do you use an outline or let it flow
organically?
GM: Typically, when I write anything it often strikes me in my
sleep. I’ve always day dreamed about concepts of story boards but Crunchy Life
came to me after a really rough week of work. One of my students and their
family had been displaced from their home due to financial hardship. I know
that narrative on a personal level and I wondered to myself how many other
families that I’ve worked with have had similar or even worse circumstances.
There’s this preconceived notion that impoverished families don’t care about
education or that they aren’t intelligent people. The truth is most people in
that situation just have a more challenging time obtaining or accessing the
right resources. With that in mind I wrote to capture the experiences of a kid
and a family who simply embodied the spirit of wanting to succeed but who just
didn’t know exactly how.
I found
my why, and then I found my who and I began to capture a fictional journey of
what it would be like for a kid to share his story from his point of view in a
very relatable and personal way. Once I had my reasons for writing and I
knew who I was writing about and who I was writing for, I created my storyboard
and went along for the ride as if I was seated right in class with Charles (the
main protagonist in Crunchy Life). I imagined what it would be like to
literally be him, to be his sisters, his mom, his classmates and lastly his
teachers, both Ms. Brown and her replacement Mr. Leroy.
DL:
What do you think makes a good story?
GM: Speaking from truth. I’ve always enjoyed a fictional spin
on reality. For example, in book 3 of the Crunchy Life series I tied in a sub
plot where Grandma Jones explains what slavery was like to her grandchildren
Charles and his sister. But within the context of her talking about slavery I
have her share a story about how once the slave family in her story finished
their work for the night that they were allowed to make a gingerbread cookie.
Once they made the cookie, I tied in the traditional elements of the
Gingerbread Man to the subplot and then Grandma Jones explains that the
Gingerbread Man helped to free some slaves. I think a good story plays on your
imagination and lingers on the “but what if it was really like that” side of
things.
DL: Is
there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either
growing up or as an adult?
GM: Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House Series has
always been amazing to me. Though I haven’t read every single addition to the
series I just loved how Jack and Annie would go on adventures. There were times
when I couldn’t tell if what they experienced actually happened or if it was
all fiction based on how well she tied in history and social studies.
DL: If
you were hosting a dinner party which three authors would be your dream guests?
GM: Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and Alice Walker.
DL:
What are the keys to success in marketing your book(s)?
GM: Not being afraid to talk about them everywhere I go.
DL:
What tips would you give to aspiring writers?
GM: Be authentic. Never shy away from creativity because of
what others say. Do your homework to know what’s out there and what makes for a
great read. I was told once that a book for everyone is a book for no one, so
learn the market but don’t try to fit in somewhere that you aren’t passionate
about.
DL:
How about sharing an excerpt from Crunchy Life Recess Detention?
GM: Here’s the synopsis:
No one
ever said that life was easy for kids growing up in big cities. First, there's
the big State Test. Then, there’s the violence that happens in the
neighborhoods. To add on to that, there are the bullies that kids have to face
on a regular basis. If that isn’t enough stress for a kid, there's the thought
that at any moment your teacher might quit and leave you without ever saying
goodbye. For ten-year-old Charles Anthony Thomas, it was only a matter of time
before school became too overwhelming for him. Will he have what it takes to
successfully navigate through the fifth-grade? Does he have what it takes to
lead his sisters down a positive road? Or will life in the charter school
system prove to be much more than Charles can handle?
DL:
What’s on the horizon for you?
GM: Speaking engagements along the east coast, school visits,
video diaries and preparing for Crunchy Life: Stuck in the Middle which
will be the book about Charles and his middle school experiences after he
finished 5th grade in the final book of the kid’s series.
DL:
Where can readers learn more about you and your book(s)?
GM: They can learn more here:
•
Website: www.mourningknows.com
• Amazon
Author Page:https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/author/ref=mw_dp_a_ap?_encoding=UTF8&author=Glen%20Mourning&searchAlias=books&asin=B01MQUQXT2
•
Instagram: @mourningknows and also @crunchylifekidsbooks
•
Twitter: mourningknows
•
Book Buy Links: https://www.paypal.com/webapps/hermes?token=8195479128734273U&useraction=commit&mfid=1559904704385_59732016b0acb#/checkout/guest
It’s
been a pleasure having you here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy
getting to know you and your work.
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