Journalist, novelist visits his alma mater

On Wednesday, April 11, author Jesse J. Holland returned to the place where his writing began, H.W. Byers.

Holland, a 1989 graduate of H.W. Byers, spoke to the student body, faculty, staff, and guests about his recent novel, “Black Panther: Who is the Black Panther?” He began his talk telling the audience how he ran laps in this very gym and how his mother, Yvonne Holland (retired from H.W. Byers), taught him to do outlines in seventh grade English class, which he still uses today to assist him with his writing. His mother’s profession as an English teacher inspired his career path.

“I think I got the writing bug from her, because I started working at my town newspaper, “The South Reporter” in Holly Springs, covering my high school,” he said. “When I went to school at the University of Mississippi, I went ahead and majored in journalism and English, and I’ve been working as a journalist ever since.”

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