Posted by Editor Dec 14, Growing up as a young man of color in Milwaukee, author Frank Lewis found writing as a way to channel his imagination and express his creativity.
With the release of his new novel, Lewis hopes to change racial perceptions about the black community and encourage other youth to follow their dreams. Then rest at cool evening, Beneath a tall tree, While night comes on gently, Dark like me β That is my dream! To fling my arms wide, In the face of the sun, Dance! Till the quick day is done. Rest at pale eveningβ¦ A tall, slim treeβ¦ Night coming tenderly. Black like me. Milwaukee Independent: What is your fondest memory of growing up in Milwaukee?
Frank Lewis: My fondest memory growing up in Milwaukee goes back to around the age of about twelve. I remember enjoying the summer time. A lot of kids my age were on the block. We did a lot of things like riding bikes, exploring the neighborhood, playing basketball, and playing hide and seek at night time.
We had to be careful but it was safe. Milwaukee Independent: How did you develop a passion for writing? And, was your ability nurtured or misunderstood? Frank Lewis: I developed a passion for writing at a young age, maybe around eight. I read a lot of books back then. I always had a very good imagination.
I watched a lot of cartoons, and often times I would go in our basement and re-enact episodes of shows I watched with my toys. One day I told my mom I wanted to write a story, and I took that imagination and started writing about kids and their experiences. My abilities were nurtured by my mom. She encouraged me to keep writing. She would put all my short stories in a binder to keep. Eventually she bought a computer so that I could type my stories out and spellcheck them and use proper punctuation.
