Wanda Morris G.O. ’77

Wanda Morris G.O. ’77 always had a passion for creative writing, stoked by her years at Glen Oak under the tutelage of Paula Block and Gay Janis, but felt compelled to get a “real job.”  After working for an entire career, first in accounting in Cleveland and then as a corporate attorney in Atlanta, Wanda felt that passion stirring again.

 

“I wrote my first draft of what would become my novel in 2008, but I convinced myself that nobody would want to read about a middle-aged black woman going through tough times in corporate America. But I just couldn’t let the idea of it go. I picked it up again in 2015, and decided to finish it to see what would happen.” Even after years of rejection, the persevering spirit of Glen Oak kept Wanda going, and she was signed by an agent in New York City. Just this past November, HarperCollins decided to publish her novel, All Her Little Secrets. “I was overjoyed.”

 

It would have been easy to let that half-finished novel wither on the vine, but Wanda says her faith in God and herself pushed her to keep going. “If I had started something like this, I had to believe that it would all come to pass.” She says a health scare a few years ago forced her to re-evaluate how she was spending her time. “I wanted to pursue things that brought me peace and joy, and writing had always done that.”

 

Morris always wanted to tell original stories, but when she saw herself inside Entertainment Weekly, she described it as surreal. “And then I was named one of 10 writers to watch by Publisher’s Weekly, and I said to myself, ‘Oh my God, this is really happening.’ And now, people keep telling me that my novel spurred them to thoughts they had never had before, and it seems to be resonating with people I never thought it would resonate with.” She continued, “It was a personal experience for me, a way to work through my thoughts and feelings. But so many people have connected with it.”

 

Morris credits Glen Oak for helping her find the path that led her to so much success. “My years at Glen Oak left an indelible mark on my life. I met girls there that, to this day, I still remain in contact with and consider dear friends. I studied under teachers who taught me to think critically and sparked my creativity. I am grateful for having spent my high school years at Glen Oak and will forever be an ‘Oakie.’”

 

Morris' debut novel, All Her Little Secrets, is available from HarperCollins, and her second novel is forthcoming.