Joliet Illinois is where I was
born and raised. I moved around often within the city,
and I realize in hindsight it was because my family was apparently
unable to keep up with the cost of housing, even 40 years ago. As a
result, I went to several elementary schools, and two different high
schools, before I finished public school.
Somehow, I knew that I needed to work on improving my prospects for
success, and I also wanted to see the world. I was only seventeen at
the time I finished high school, so my mother had to sign that she
consented to my joining the Marine Corps. My flight to San Diego for
boot camp was my first flight, and first time leaving the state of
Illinois. This was October, 1978. My Mother died of terminal cancer
in February 1979, about five months after I joined, and my life was
probably saved by the fact that my service commitment kept me moving
forward, and provided me with positive purpose.
I am a 46 years young teacher of special education in a small, rural
school district in southwestern Michigan. I am also a student in
Western Michigan University’s masters of special education program.
I have been teaching now for nine years. Before I started teaching,
I attended Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and
received my bachelor’s degree in special education. Prior to going
to college, I was a correctional officer at a medium security
correctional center in Illinois, for over six years. My experience
as a correctional officer ultimately led me to my decision to teach
special education. I found during my work as a correctional officer
that the prison population is largely illiterate or ineffective
readers, and decided that I wanted to dedicate myself to helping
at-risk youth achieve in school, and thus become less likely to be
incarcerated as adults.
I am very musical, and I sing, play bass guitar, and keyboards. I
have composed maybe a couple of dozen or so songs in my life. I am
very much out of practice as far as music goes. My job as a special
education teacher, masters’ student, and my story writing, keep me
from having much time to practice, or write music.
I have written about half a dozen children’s stories. I write
because I have reached a developmental and experiential level, where
it feels very natural, and believable. Many of my stories are about
school-age kids, and events in their lives. I feel that I can give
them voice, based on so much I have seen and heard from observing
them over the years.
Video online of Stanley reading
WILLIE'S DAD:
http://www.gather.com/viewVideo.jsp?id=11821949021857199&grpId=3659174697250787&nav=Groupspace
PageOneLit.com: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a
part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why?
Stanley Williams: I grew up in Joliet Illinois. Reading and writing was
a huge part of my life, there was no internet or cable TV. We were
desperately poor, and I remember reading geography and maps, so I could
tell a believable story about where I had gone on my summer vacation,
when school opened up each fall. I was also a huge comic book fan, it
provided a great escape, and fantastic vocabulary, way beyond what was
age appropriate, which was great!
PageOneLit.com: Why do you write?
Stanley Williams: I write a lot in my job as a special education
teacher, and also as a masters student at Western Michigan University.
Children's book writing is a horse of a different color and my
motivation is different. I write in part to personalize the writing
process for the kids I work with, and for the people I will come across
in my life. I wrote Willie's Dad as a sort of love note to all the
at-risk children around the world, who could use a little more in the
way of examples about how they are not forgotten, and are loved by
people they do not even necessarily know. I wrote it specifically
because I have seen the full-circle effects of the experience of having
loved ones become incarcerated.
PageOneLit.com: Why did you write Willie's Dad? What was your childhood
like?
Stanley Williams: I wrote Willie's Dad because I was a
correctional officer in Illinois for over six years, and have been a
special education teacher fo more than ten years now. I noticed that a
high percentage of the inmates were unsuccessful readers, and began to
wonder if that was somehow part of what landed them in jail. As I became
burnt put on corrections ( which does not seem to correct much) I
decided to attend college, switch careers to teaching, and specializing
in helping at-risk students learn to read well. My hope was, and is that
maybe I could help divert some kids away from the path toward
incarceration.
I am a child of high poverty and low expectations. My childhood was
fairly happy, because most of the people I knew were in the same boat,
and did not dwell on what we did not have. My father lost his hearing in
a factory accident when I was maybe seven or eight years old, and worked
as a free lance electrician. My mother was strongly religious and taught
us that our greatest reward would come after our time on earth. My seven
siblings and I grew up attending church on a regular basis. By the time
I was finishing high school, I had worked numerous jobs, and was signed
up on delayed entry for the Marine Corps. I didn't realize it at the
time, but I left on my mother's birthday. As fate would have it, that
ended up being her last birthday. I turned eighteen in boot camp in San
Diego.
PageOneLit.com: What makes Willie's Dad different from other books in
the same genre?
Stanley Williams: Willie's Dad is different because it looks without
sugarcoating, or blinking, at a pivotal day in the life of a little boy
whose dad is in jail. We have over two million children in America in
that position at any given time, yet I do not know of any children's
books addressing this. There are also over five million children whose
parents have been involved in the criminal justice system at some point.
I personally find it almost morally incomprehensible that there is so
little for them to read about children like themselves. I want them to
know they are not alone, and they are loved.
PageoneLit.com: For kids whose father's are in jail or not present in
their lives what advise do you have for them? How can society help these
kids before it's too late?
Stanley Williams: My advice for children whose fathers are in jail, is
to love and respect their fathers. Additionally, I encourage them to
choose their own path, that will allow them to do better than their
parents. That is the essence of the American Dream. I believe that
parents, regardless of their situation, typically like the idea of their
children doing better than they did. I have always emphasized the
importance of literacy, and education, of love of learning, as some of
the keys to a rich life. Philosophically, define what you stand for, so
you always have your personal compass working, and act on what you truly
believe, scared or not.
PageOneLit.com: You have said , "I see extraordinary perseverance
constantly in my role as a teacher." Explain.
Stanley Williams: Our society owes every child the best education
possible, period. For those who are aware of children whose father's are
in jail, take them under your wing. A society's greatness is defined by
how it treats it's most vulnerable members. Government has turned over
most social work to the religious and private sector. I believe that we
have to address the fatherless-ness at a grass roots level, as well as
being active in demanding more benevolent policies from our government
for out most at-risk populations. There needs to be a massive mentor
ship program that provides support through public education and college
or trade school, to help these children become successful in the legal,
capitalist environment.
I see children who are experiencing extreme situations in their lives,
but who are able to smile play, have fun, and engage in their
educations. I sometimes feel bad for them when they do not seem to feel
bad for themselves. They are resilient and spend their energy looking at
the bright side of life. In doing so, they provide me with much of my
reason for demanding the best of them, and believing in their great
potential.
PageOneLit.com: Can you give one example of how your book "Willie's Dad"
impacted or changed the life of another --
Stanley Williams: I have had several people say the story has brought
out very deep emotions within them, some have said it brought them to
tears. I have also been told that my book allows the opening of
conversations that people have had difficulty initiating. My own nephew,
only four years old, said he wants to write a book, because Uncle
Stanley Wrote one.
PageOneLit.com: What do you hope to achieve with Willie's Dad? Are you
doing speaking engagements or book signings to promote Willie's Dad?
Stanley Williams: I hoped to get a story that was burning in my heart,
off of my chest, and out into the world. I wanted to signal my arrival
as a children's book author, by writing something that did not go down
the well worn, same old paths. As I said earlier, I wanted to let
children in this situation know they are loved, and by no means are
forgotten. I am doing book readings to promote Willie's Dad, but have
been somewhat disappointed by the lack of forums to do so. It appears to
me sometimes that people do not care to deal with this subject.
PageOneLit.com: What's next?
Stanley Williams: Next, I have another children's book just out, Not Me,
which is humorous and probably generalizes to the children's book market
more easily. I am writing a follow-up to Willie's Dad, as I ultimately
envision Willie being the subject of a series of books that deal with
the real life challenges of at-risk children.
PageOneLit.com: What was the last book you read?
Stanley Williams: Right now i am reading Forever Remembered; The Fliers
of WWII, a set of interviews by Irv Broughton. I was a Plane Captain in
the Marine Corps (which is essentially a crew chief, ground crew, not
flight crew. I simply love military history, especially aviation.
PageOneLit.com: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they
enhance your writing?
Stanley Williams: My hobbies are growing fewer and fewer, as I become so
busy with teaching, being a student, and writing. Writing is a hobby for
me, as is hiking and flower gardening. I think all of these enhance my
writing by providing direct application, or some blessed quiet, and
think time.
