A writer grows in Orange

Woodberry Forest alumnus John Hollis was inspired by President Barack Obama's admission of his own struggle to fit in and belong in the "white world" or the "black world." Hollis said he knew the time had come to publish his book, Life in the Paint: The Story of a Black Man Fighting for His Identity.

Hollis felt he'd walked a similar path to the one the president described, and had frequently found himself struggling to fit in to both worlds - as black student in primarily conservative, white, affluent schools - and on the basketball courts with his black peers.

His mother, a single parent and school teacher instilled in her three sons the importance of education, Hollis remembered. Her unwavering conviction was that a good education could open doors and possibilities could be infinite. To help her sons reach their goals, Hollis' mother enrolled her sons at Woodberry Forest School.

It was at Woodberry that Hollis learned to love writing, he said. Hollis credits his freshman year teacher John Stillwell for teaching him a comprehensive approach to writing as self-expression.

"He taught me to think and analyze, not just read material. He also taught me how to express myself well," Hollis said.

As a reliably strong academic performer, Hollis said he was the frequent target of ribbing and teasing on the basketball courts from his black peers. They teased him about his "proper English," he remembered.

At home, Hollis' mother didn't allow her sons to use slang; her expectation was that her boys spoke articulately and always used good grammar. But in those years, Hollis said his command of the English language was like bearing a scarlet letter.

Now, Hollis said he becomes frustrated when he hears that some black students purposely do poorly in school to avoid being labeled "smart." The "black (race) should never be synonymous with underachievement," he said.

He chose to write about his experiences as a note of encouragement to all people, as well as a show of faith in his race. He hopes that as he has been fortunately inspired, that others will be by him, he said.

"If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will; don't let your circumstances and environment define who you are," Hollis said.

Presently, Hollis resides with his wife Regina and son Davis in Atlanta, GA. He began his career in journalism at the Free Lance Star and thrived as a sportswriter, eventually writing for national media, including CNN and Time Magazine. Hollis is in the midst of writing his second book, the story his wife's uncle, a Medal of Honor recipient.

For more details on Life in the Paint: The Story of a Black man Fighting for His Identity visit the web at www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/LifeInThePaint.html.