Page 18 of Just Joshing
"It's Molly here," I whispered, watching Trent light up. "And please don't give them false hope."
"Unlike some," Josh whispered back, "I keep my promises."
I frowned, flicking him a glance. He ignored me, nodding at Leesha in the back.
"You wrote They called him Dog?" Her tone was dubious.
Josh nodded.
"But you ain't poor."
"No."
"You raised poor?"
There were a few amused giggles. This was the quietest the class had ever been – and the most engaged. Every single phone sat on the desk, all watching Josh in rapt attention.
Mental note: do more guest visits.
"No, I'm not poor, wasn't raised that way either. But I don't have to be to write an empathetic story. I wrote Dog after spending time documenting the experience of new immigrants. I went and spoke to men and women who had lived experience of racism, poverty and homophobia. The story of Hosea is the story of many people. I didn't write Dog in isolation. I wrote it with permission, and in partnership, with many people from a variety of backgrounds. My grandparents included. They came to America with only fifty dollars and three children to feed. By the end of their first year they were bankrupt, living out of a friend’s backyard, and had another mouth to feed. You'll see them, and everyone else I interviewed, listed in the credits and referenced throughout the movie in scenes showing newspapers or tv news." He grinned. "There's a little Easter egg for you, if you feel like watching it again."
"But why'd you write it if you ain't poor?"
Josh shrugged. "Everyone has a story that only they can tell. But I can give it the platform to be heard – that's what I do. I honestly believe every story is important."
Amelia frowned, "I don't have a story."
"'Course you do." Josh leaned forward. "Where you from?"
"Brooklyn."
"Why're you here?"
"'Cause I was born here."
"No, I mean here," Josh waved a hand around the classroom.
"Got knocked up. No one wants to hire a teen baby-mamma."
"Nowhere respectable anyways." Nia called, flicking her hair back.
"But why are you here." Josh corrected. "Yeah, you have a baby. But you could choose to be elsewhere. Why're you here, in this class? Right now? What's driving you to be here?"
Amelia's chin jutted out, her jaw clenching. "Wanna get my diploma."
Josh settled back. "Why?"
She hesitated. "Wanna go to college. Give my baby a better life."
A few students laughed. Amelia shoved to her feet, spinning to stab a finger at them. "I see you, Mike. And you, Tyra. You think I can't do it! I'll fucking show you, you-"
"Sit down!" I barked, using my best teacher voice. "That is more than enough."
Amelia turned, dropping into her seat, crossing her arms, muttering.
I glanced around the class. "What is our first rule?"
There were a few muttered replies.
