Ms. Morris was inspired to write her book many years ago after reading Brothers, written by Sylvester Monroe. She identified with many aspects of Monroe’s life, including being reared by a single mother from the South, growing up in public housing, excelling in school and being hand-picked to attend a prestigious white school in New England. But the friends he left behind as he made his way through Harvard and the journalistic world after Harvard was the most important part of Monroe’s life which mirrored her own. It was a few years later that she actually put pen to paper, detailing various aspects of her life that included a childhood of stealing, fighting and getting suspended from school. The chapter entitled Juvenile Delinquent details her first encounter with the juvenile justice system stemming from a gang fight that almost landed her in a juvenile jail.
How Ya Like Me Now! is an inspirational autobiography by Leslie Morris, who overcame a troubled childhood and adolescence and defied the predictions of her societal demise. Morris, who grew up in one of Long Branch’s Housing Projects, went on to earn an undergraduate degree, with honors, from prestigious Simmons College and Master’s Degrees from Boston College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While her book focuses primarily on her childhood and adolescence, she also touches on what she’s done since leaving Long Branch to help other troubled adolescents. Moreover, Morris’ autobiography expands on not only her personal life experiences, but also explains how black people came to Long Branch and offers insight into their virtually untold history. For more information, or to purchase the book, please contact lesliemorris@howyalikemenow.com.
|
|