We live in confusing times - two steps forward and three steps back. That’s why I’m so pleased to have this Q&A with Jerald L. Hoover. Hoover is a bestselling author, sportswriter, documentarian, motivational speaker and community leader, He is a man who does not retreat and he inspires the people in his community to keep moving forward. His hometown, Mount Vernon, New York is only four square miles yet its athletic programs have produced numerous state championships in basketball and many Mount Vernon natives have gone on to play college and professional basketball. Academy award winning actor, Denzel Washington and several distinguished professionals in the fields of science, medicine and business are also from Mount Vernon. Hoover’s first documentary, Four Square Miles to Glory, highlights the extraordinary accomplishments of the athletes from Mount Vernon.
In 1993, Jerald L. Hoover was named “Best New Male Writer of the Year” by the Literary Society in Virginia for his fictional novel, My Friend, My Hero. From 1994 – 1996, he was listed as a Bestselling author among young Black writers in various African American publications. In 1995, he was awarded the Writers Corp Award by President Bill Clinton and in 1998, Hoover was inducted into the Mount Vernon Boy’s and Girl’s Club Hall of Fame.
In 2003, Hoover received a Citation of Merit Award for his work with young people in Bronx elementary and middle schools.
In 2011, he was nominated for Honorable Mention for being Best Sportswriter of the Year by Black
Press Radio and Hoover was a semifinalist in the Gotham Screenplay Contest for his screenplay of My Friend, My Hero.
He directed documentaries on Kool Moe Dee and Felipe Lopez for the “Life in the Day” series and for the past eight years, he has directed plays for his church’s annual convocation.
As a sportswriter, he has covered the New York Knicks and New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets: for Black Athlete Sports Network, The Network Journal, Sportstyle New York, Pure Sports New York and BustaSports.com.
Hoover teaches at Long Island University as an adjunct professor in the area of Sports Communication. He is married and has one son. Hoover is also a popular motivational speaker who overcame a childhood speech impediment.
1. What was it like growing up in public housing in Mount Vernon?
Growing up on the projects back then in the 1970s was just home. Neighbors back then were in my opinion a lot closer in terms of being neighborly and friendly. It was nothing to have to borrow (between parents) a cup of sugar or a stick of butter from your neighbor, knowing you probably wouldn’t pay it back per se. But, the bond and connection that you had between tenants was amazing. Also, as kids back in those days, we played a lot of physical games outside like: Tag, Manhunt, and Red Light/Green Light. And we played makeshift baseball with almost anything small and round such as a tennis ball, wiffle ball, or even socks.
2. You refer to your mother Hilda as your hero. How did she help you focus on achieving your goals?
My mother was unfortunately like too many others, a single parent. She had me somewhat young, 18-years old, (I have a younger sister as well) and I realized as I got older and became a parent myself how tough and rough it must’ve been for her. I remember times when she wouldn’t eat a full meal, maybe drink coffee and eat toast while my sister and I ate spaghetti and meatballs out of a can. She was extremely hardworking, went to work sick even. I pick up a lot of my work ethic from her. I picked up a lot of my work ethic from her. My wife Tanya is similar to her, very hardworking and a go-getter.
3. What opportunities did sports provide for you in Mount Vernon?
Sports was a way to bond with others, learn new things from others but back then it was just fun. Being from Mount Vernon gave you a sense of pride because the city or town had such a rich history in sports, especially basketball. I wasn’t as good as a lot of others, but it was fun being in the chase so to speak. Writing became my go to contribution.
4. How did the Mount Vernon Boys and Girls Club help you?
The Boys and Girls Club was like my home away from home. It was a sanctuary for me. It was a place I could and find direction, support, guidance and peace even. The mentors there: Mr. James (Jim) Jones, Mr. Joe Coleman (he was the yeller and screamer of the bunch, but he had a heart of gold and wanted all of us to succeed in like), and Mr. Calvin Jones were phenomenal and caring men.
5. What inspired you to write, My Friend, My Hero?
I wanted to save lives. Being that my dad was a drug addict and alcohol (a lot of that stemmed from his environment and family history – his mom and dad both became alcoholics) I wanted to make a difference. I had written a speech (which is in the first book…but I won’t’ say where, you’ll have to read the book to find it). And the speech was geared towards teenagers that may have struggles. I didn’t want the end result being drugs and alcohol as an elixir.
6. Did you always intend for it to be a four part series?
No, not a four-part story - I first wanted to get the first one finished and that took like forever and a day to get published. But a two-parter was more of my thinking. I didn’t want to be a one-shot wonder. Then the story got good(er) to me, so I extended it to three books. Then, I was thinking why not go for it and add a fourth book and really extend myself. So, I added the fourth book and named it, The Hero Book Series as each book has the word ‘hero’ within the title: My Friend, My Hero; He Was My Hero, Too; A Hopeful Hero; and Hoop Hero.
7. Why did you decide to write books for middle school children?
Middle school is where a lot of our young children get off track. Sometimes it seems as if those are the forgotten kids. I used to look around and see how so many literacy foundations and such only “catered,” if you will, to K-3 or 4th grade. From 5th through 8th grade they were basically left alone. So, my target became middle schools. But please note… I do not discriminate; I am an equal opportunity salesman. I will sell to anyone from 8 years old to 89 if they choose my book as a choice for a good read.
8. Do you feel your books are specifically written toward boys of that age? If so, why?
No, my books are for everyone. And as I just mentioned my book can be read by anyone from 8 years old to 89 years old, male or female. In fact, if you look at my cover of Book One, I have more females on the cover than males. That’s by design.
9. According to your online biography, you completed 60 drafts of My Friend, My Hero and the first nine were written by hand because you couldn’t afford a typewriter or computer. How hard was it to find a publisher for your work?
It wasn’t hard to find a publisher or agent or editor for my work. It was hard finding one that would accept my work. They didn’t believe in me or in the message I guess. Or, they didn’t think the book was “mainstream” enough. They were also probably thinking that the book was for a certain population and even that population wouldn’t support it so they wouldn’t invest money into it. But, they turned out to be dead wrong as I am celebrating over 25 years (more like close to 27), in print and I am now in multiple countries and on multiple continents.
10. Bennett Wilson is a compelling character. Did you struggle with his fate in The Hero Book Series or did you always know what would happen to him?
The story is told, in a flashback, so Bennet’s fate was already sealed. Did I struggle? Well, put it this way, the same emotions that my readers felt: laughter, fear, anger, sadness, anxiety waiting to see what was going to happen next and who done it so to speak, I made or allowed myself to feel them as well.
11. Tara is a strong female character. Have you considered writing more about the girls growing up in Mount Vernon?
I am glad you said that about Tara, because that helps to enhance the point I made about females on the cover and how many there were. This basically states why.
12. Do girls have the same opportunities in sports?
In Mount Vernon females do. We had an undefeated Girls’ Basketball team that won the state title back in the early 1980s. One of my cousin’s Marsha Blount was the star of that squad. Females in Mount Vernon made their marks in track, basketball, gymnastics, and tennis too.
13. You cover many subjects in The Hero Book Series – personal responsibility, drugs and alcohol, truancy, gun violence, relationships and safe sex. What kind of feedback have you received from parents?
Amazing feedback - I particularly love it when a parent says to me how much their child loved reading the book especially when the make it a point to reiterate that their child doesn’t like to particularly read. Being that there are so many messages within the scope of the story and the child doesn’t shy away from reading them could mean that a message or two could sink in.
14. My Friend, My Hero is now in its 6th edition celebrating the 25th anniversary of its first publication. How has life in Mount Vernon changed?
Well, I like being an optimist and looking at things half full as opposed to half empty or empty period. But, for the quality of life in Mount Vernon to improve, certain sectors need to improve. I am hoping that my books can help inspire change. Book one, My Friend, My Hero (the others will follow) now has a full curriculum component for schools and such: a pre-test, Student Success Workbook, Teacher’s Edition, and Unit’s Assessment. It is in a musical stage play form as well as a screenplay form. I have a lot of plans for the series as a whole.
15. In My Friend, My Hero, Simon is a drug dealer who tries to persuade Bennett to throw games or shave points for money. In He was my Hero, Too, Simon is an upstanding member of the community and the director of the Mount Vernon Boys and Girls Club. Do you believe people can change their lives this drastically?
Yes, I most certainly do. That is what life is about, making your tomorrow better than your today. The Simon character really illustrates that point. Even though I created him, I’m actually very proud of Simon.
16. You managed to include a great deal of factual information about HIV/AIDs in one scene of your book. Why do you think it is still so difficult to get this information to young people in the classroom or their community?
Because folks are either too scared to talk about it, or don’t know how to. But, babies are still being born to unprepared teen parents and diseases are still being spread, unfortunately. How do you convince parents to talk about the perils of drug use and unprotected sex? Do you want the best in life for your child? When you think on those terms, you take extra precautions to ensure that your child is safe. If you allow your child to grow up the best way he or she can without setting out a path for them; they will more than likely make a mistake that could have been avoided.
17. Gun violence is a serious threat in this country. Nationally, the homicide rate for Black Americans is eight times higher than for Whites (CDC 2017). In urban areas these figures can be much more disparate. How do you address gun violence in your community?
Head-on, there’s no sugar coating on this issue. As I answer this question, I recently just yesterday read where another victim, a father of I believe 11 children was stuck by a stray bullet in the Bronx. Two young boys were having an actual shootout in broad daylight on a crowded street. That is unbelievable and unacceptable.
18. In your public writings, you always stress the importance of pride and self-worth for Black boys and young men. How can the media help?
Stop amplifying only the bad that happens and celebrate good and positive things. If Black and Brown boys only see negative depictions, then they will think it’s a normal course of action. That needs to be eradicated.
19. How do we integrate Black History into our American History classrooms, so all Americans can learn about the contributions of Black men and women in all areas of our society?
Parents really have to demand it. They have to want more of the history to be told.
20. Is there anything else you want people to know about your work?
I have been told by multiple people that my books are a must read and that it should be in every school in the country. That being said, one way to make that happen is for people to demand it. I need for people to want the books in their schools. So, all of the teachers, parents, principals, and superintendents out there should put in a request.
Be sure to visit Jerald Hoover’s website at www.TheHeroBookSeries.com and look for his books on Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com and local bookstores in your community.