The Grade 7 students are in for a treat in their latest Literature & Languages unit. Tasked with writing memoirs, the students have been participating in a series of workshops led by award-winning author Harrison Mooney.
Mr. Mooney began by sharing his story that inspired his novel Invisible Boy: A Memoir of Self-Discovery, which chronicles his experience as an adoptee and a Black child in a small town in the bible belt of BC under a very heavy-handed Christian upbringing. The book is a moving tale of his journey “from white cult to Black consciousness.”
The students were inspired by Mr. Mooney’s story and extremely impressed with his story-telling skills. “He was really funny and a great guy, a great storyteller,” said Jacob. “His own story is sad; it sounded like a hard thing to go through, being adopted and going his entire life just wanting to be loved.”
“The way he expressed his story was really cool, how he used different pitches of his voice to express emotion throughout it,” explained Marcus. “He told us how he was taught that people come back as birds when they die, and how his perspective of this has changed throughout his life. It reminded me of what we’re learning in class about different beliefs too.”
After the introductory workshop, Mr. Mooney returned to speak more about the techniques behind crafting memoirs. He guided the students through workshopping their original drafts, and will be providing professional feedback as they prepare their own memoirs for assessment.
It was the impact potential of memoirs that really stood out to Jacob. “Mr. Mooney described memoirs as autobiographies weaponized. While an autobiography is more about facts, a memoir tells a person’s story with a purpose. There’s a greater meaning behind the story, and that’s what it means to be weaponized.”
“He taught us a specific method for crafting our memoirs, how to outline them and go through them in an effective way,” said Marcus. “He showed us how memoirs can be powerful because of the emotion behind them, and showed us how to make our own.”
With one more workshop to go, Ms. Green and Ms. Falvey are excited to see what the students come up with. “Engaging with a professional author like Harrison Mooney, a local BC talent, is an incredible opportunity for our students. His approach reinforces the conversations we have in Language & Literature: that great writing is a craft honed through ongoing revision and reflection,” explained Ms. Green.
“Harrison demystifies the writing process, helping students navigate the emotional weight of telling their own stories,” added Ms. Falvey. “Through these authentic workshops, students aren’t just writing memoirs; they are leaving with the confidence that they, too, have powerful stories to tell.”
Thank you so much to Mr. Mooney for visiting our Grade 7s to inspire them on the importance of telling our honest stories. Visit Harrison Mooney’s website to learn more about his books and journalism work.
Visits from incredible guest speakers like Mr. Mooney are made possible by the generosity of our community through Annual Giving. Your support enables initiatives that enhance the student experience in academics, co-curriculars, arts, athletics, wellness, service, outdoor learning and more. Help create future opportunities by visiting sjs.ca/support/annual-giving
