Great Expectations in a Writer’s Life
Photos and Story by Francine Lange
Tuesday March 27, 2007
(Copyright 2007)

When Allen Weaver began writing his book, he never thought it would take 10 years to complete. “God definitely had a sense of humor,” he says. His autobiographical anthology, Transition: Breaking Through the Barriers, offers a candid account of Allen’s self-discovery, tributes to family and friends, poems, short stories and essays about culture and society. He writes about his own attempted suicide and journey back to hope; he filters each entry through a God-inspired lens and unadorned commentary on life.

Allen grew up with a love for science fiction and comic book superheroes, and themes of “the struggle to find yourself, your true identity” appeal to him. The groundwork for his imagination and subsequent writing was laid early. As a youth, he spent summers in Atlanta, Georgia, with his architect aunt and uncle, who insisted he read one book a week and write a report which they graded.

Death to Life
In high school, Allen kept a journal and attended creative writing classes: “I found that writing was a way to help me work through what I was feeling at the time,” he says. But his own dreams didn’t immediately translate into reality because he was struggling with his own self-image — thinking “Superman thoughts” in a “Clark Kent” body. After graduation, Allen tried to kill himself, and failed; he railed against God, but then realized that God must have a plan for his life if he was still alive. Allen then came to a real faith in Christ. With knowledge from Scripture that God can renew hearts and minds, he enrolled in Bethune-Cookman College and graduated with a bachelor’s in Speech/Mass Communications, then received a master’s from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in 2000. In his essay titled “I Am A…” from the book, Allen writes: “I am a dreamer—and the Greatest Dreamer of them all has placed within me the image of a life lived beyond the ordinary—in a realm where many choose not to go—but all are welcome anytime if they know the way and choose to follow the path.”

Allen Serious Look
Allen Weaver’s stories are related to “demonstrating the reality of God in the world.”

Power of the Written Word
While still in college, Allen contributed to the school paper and experienced the positive power of writing after reading a student’s letter about contemplating suicide. He responded in the paper’s advice column with his own story, and urged the student to seek help.

The inspiration to write a book came while hearing New York Times best-selling author Omar Tyree speak at a communications seminar. “That’s when the flame was first sparked,” Allen recalls. He felt God telling him, “I want you to write a book,” but had no clue on the subject. Gradually, in obedience to God’s prompting, Allen wrote about his own experience, as a young Black man, seeking fulfillment, changing and growing with lessons learned, some painful, some glorious. “We all have a story, and all of our stories are important,” he says. He credits his wife, family, classmates, professors and friends from church for helping him persevere through the 10 years.

Allen Reading Transition
Allen believes that everyone has a story to tell and each person’s story is important.

Now that Transitions is published (in June 2006), Allen is hearing back from his readers. His barber told him the book is “like a prescription for your life. It’s like taking a vitamin a day.” Another young man told him the book saved his job, stopping him from an impulsive decision.

Dreaming Big Dreams
Allen firmly believes that dreams can become reality. Most recently, after sending a copy of the book to a former college advisor, he received an invitation to speak at a conference, fulfilling one of his dreams — to inspire students to use their gifts.

He’s using his own gifts, which also include videography, music and art. He came to the American Bible Society as a freelance videographer and was hired as a communications specialist for Elementz of Life™ in 2006.  Since then he’s been promoted to Assistant Digital Media Producer.

As for more projects, Allen just returned from a mission trip to Ghana, West Africa, where he filmed a team from his church as they carried in school supplies, clothing and shoes, and provided basic medical care and small business consulting to needy villagers. He’s also working on a science fiction novel and a five-book fantasy collection with another writer, and is collaborating with his wife Ijnanya on a children’s book.

He wants people to experience a biblical truth he’s living in now: “God gives you gifts and talents for a reason,” he says. “Your gifts will make room for you.” (To learn more about Allen, visit his Web site www.allenpaulweaveriii.com.)

Filed under: Articles • Book Publishing • Press Releases • Transition News

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