'Latimar High' a homecoming for Oceanside author

By: JOEL D. AMOS - For the North County Times

For single parents, the demands of raising children are all-encompassing. The vision of writing a novel can easily remain only that ---- a dream sitting on the back burner of life.

But with the support of her son, Thomas, Deborah J. Copeland of Oceanside has self-published "The Kids at Latimar High" (iUniverse, $16.95), and her delight is visible immediately from her vibrant smile.

"She's an inspiration as a single female who has struggled while raising her son, a wonderful young man," said L'Tonya Gordon. In 1998, it was Gordon, then editor of The Chariot, MiraCosta's student newspaper, who gave Deborah her first reporting position.


"When Debbie walks in a room, it just lights up. That enthusiasm came off in her writing. From day one I always knew she wanted to write a book."

'Latimar High' a homecoming for Oceanside author

By: JOEL D. AMOS - For the North County Times

For single parents, the demands of raising children are all-encompassing. The vision of writing a novel can easily remain only that ---- a dream sitting on the back burner of life.

But with the support of her son, Thomas, Deborah J. Copeland of Oceanside has self-published "The Kids at Latimar High" (iUniverse, $16.95), and her delight is visible immediately from her vibrant smile.

"She's an inspiration as a single female who has struggled while raising her son, a wonderful young man," said L'Tonya Gordon. In 1998, it was Gordon, then editor of The Chariot, MiraCosta's student newspaper, who gave Deborah her first reporting position.


"When Debbie walks in a room, it just lights up. That enthusiasm came off in her writing. From day one I always knew she wanted to write a book."

Thomas' support went beyond words of encouragement. The 18-year-old drew the cover art and contributed to a critical scene for his mother.

"She gave me a description of each of the four main characters," he said. "By her character analysis alone, I derived what I wanted the characters to look like. Each person has such identifiable traits. It was relatively easy."

"The Kids at Latimar High" is the story of one woman's challenging upbringing, seen through the eyes of contemporary teenagers. Copeland was born and raised in the Bronx neighborhood that included the infamous Co-op City apartments, but through eternal optimism and a complete lack of resentment for life's roadblocks, she has emerged triumphant.

After seeing her words on paper with her first book, "A Trunk Full of Roses," at 11 years old, she knew her calling. "Having to write, that's what kept me going," she said.

The neighborhoods the Copelands left behind permeate the pages of "Latimar High."

Copeland brought a young Thomas to Southern California in order to find a brighter future for both of them.

"I saved my money to move to California. I wanted my son to be safe," she said. "New York is fascinating, and if you are not grounded, it will pull you in. It's dangerous there."

She landed in Oceanside in 1988 and is happy to be there. "Oceanside's a great place, a family community." But life wasn't easy for her. She often worked multiple jobs to support her son.

"I swear I've had every job in every Carlsbad mall,"İshe said.İ

Eventually enrolling in MiraCosta College, she graduated in 2000 with an associate's degree in general studies.

She now makes her living asİthe leasing managerİfor Ocean Park Apartments in Oceanside. The work is perfect for a writer, she said, because every tenant is a potential future character. "They're all such diverse, interestingİpeople."

Using vivid recollections of her New York home, Copeland painted the landscape of her book to the minutest detail.

"I capture the neighborhoods, how the houses are all connected together, the Woolworth's, the West Islanders, Tony's Pizzeria ---- the only Italian guy on the block," she said as she laughed. "I put all my dominant memories into 'The Kids at Latimar High.'"

The book's central females, Lauren and Robyn, are grounded by the holiest of covenants ---- the girlfriend dos and don'ts. Lauren, the writer, and Robyn, the cheerleader, are close, but challenge their friendship as they compete for the attention of Latimar's quarterback, Kevin.

"As you meet the characters, you come face to face with their demons," Copeland said.

The plot began as a short story and evolved into a novel as the personal connections meshed with her current role of mother of a young man.

"That's why I wrote the novel about teenagers ---- the many problems they deal with that make them come of age. It's indicative of the process of growing up. Plus, I thought it would be great to write about a bunch of teenagers from the Bronx ---- kind of a multicultural high school 'Melrose Place.'"

The youthful honesty of Thomas and his friends further inspired the author.

"I'd give him a few chapters at a time and they would crack up at how good it was. That gave me that extra push to finish it and get it published. And I did it," Copeland said. She also credits Thomas with the book's relevance. "Thanks to my son, he helped me bring it into today."

Although written for entertainment, the book offers more than one lesson. "When it comes to the people you care about, family and friends, respect and loyalty is what it's all about," Copeland said. "And don't be afraid to reach out to someone when you are having psychological growing pains that so many teens have."

Sitting in the Oceanside Library where she once worked in the periodicals section, the author is amazed she is returning to the institution as literary creator. Her time at the library planted the seeds of the success she is enjoying.

"I needed to write, that was my other life," Copeland said. "It's a drive. I always had to have at least my hour or two on that computer."

The apple does not fall far from the tree. Thomas added his touch to a pivotal scene involving a character's impromptu rap. "I had to capture that optimism that he had," Thomas said.

Gordon treasures the author for her words, but also for her fortitude. "For Debbie having a hard upbringing, she has such a wonderful attitude about life and about people. And to have come out not scathed, not bitter, I'm so proud of her," she said.

"Another thing I love about her is that her work is powerful and not stereotypical. Her kids in the book are just kids ---- they just happen to be black. Her book speaks to young people of all colors."

Copeland has much to celebrate. By the end of the summer, she hopes to finish a "Latimar High" sequel.

The most satisfying aspect of the entire process, Gordon said, is the attention her friend is receiving. "It's like she's won an Academy Award. She deserves it. A lot of people talk about writing the great American novel, but how many people do it?"

Joel D. Amos is a freelance writer. Contact him at joeldamos.yahoo.com.

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