College of DuPage Instructor Publishes Collection of Short Stories

College of DuPage English Instructor Tony Bowers recently released "On the Nine," a collection of short fiction published by Vital Narrative Press.

"On the Nine" features 12 stories set on the south side of Chicago that deal with the stress and pressures African American men of all ages have to face.

"The theme of the book is how African American men can overcome the way they are portrayed in the media and in entertainment," Bowers said. "It deals with the question of how these men can hold their head up, move forward and pursue their dreams when they have been marginalized, stereotyped and misrepresented in popular culture and in society."

Bowers said 70 to 80 percent of the book is inspired by real events he experienced or was told about, which he then fictionalized.

"The stories span a time frame from the 1970s to today and cover the different perspectives of African American males at several age groups - children, teens and adults," he said. "Through this, the stories examine what is different and what's the same from various points of view."

Bowers said he has been telling stories his entire life, starting before he could read, and that publishing his first book is a lifelong dream come true. He describes his father as a "master storyteller" and said he was inspired to tell his own stories after hearing about his father's upbringing as a foster child and former gang member.

Bowers earned a B.A. in Marketing from Columbia College in Chicago and spent several years as a freelance copywriter. Deciding that he wanted to pursue fiction writing more seriously, he returned to Columbia College to study in the college's Story Workshop Method and earned an M.F.A. in Creative Writing. Soon after, he earned an M.A. in Teaching from National Louis University. His work has been published in a variety of literary outlets, including Timbooktu, The Story Workshop Reader, Hair Trigger 29 & 30, Hypertext Magazine and Expressions from Englewood. He was also the recipient of the 2006 Follett Fellowship for Creative Writing Excellence and the Grand Prize Winner in the CCC Radio Script Contest for his entry titled "The Bat Incident." In 2016, Bowers plans to release his second book, "J & J's Jive Review," the story of two low-level criminals who are set on a path to redemption following a traumatic event.

Previously working as an instructor at City Colleges of Chicago, Bowers joined College of DuPage as an adjunct English instructor in 2014 and was hired full-time in 2015.

He said he is pleased with his experiences at COD.

"I'm so glad to be here," he said. "COD is a warm and friendly environment that is completely focused on teaching and learning. This college has many great resources that provide an exceptional learning environment and offer an amazing opportunity to change students' lives."

Bowers said the most challenging part of writing the book was finding the time. He said the majority of the stories were written while he was pursuing his M.F.A. at Columbia, working full time and coming home to a wife and two children. Despite the time commitment, Bowers said he enjoys the process of writing and the subsequent feeling of accomplishment upon seeing the final product. He also enjoys feedback from his readers.

"Writing can be lonely work," he said. "Whether they love it or hate it, it's great to make a connection with and have an effect on people."