Your past doesn’t have to define your future.
That was the message Oklahoma author Alton Carter presented during a recent stop at Epic Charter Schools. He shared that despite his challenging childhood, he persevered and became an author who travels around the country sharing his story.
Carter grew up in Stillwater and his first book is “The Boy Who Carried Bricks.” It tells the story about his childhood and what it was like growing up in the foster care system. The book details how each foster home and Boys Ranch impacted his life.
During an author visit he shared that story and how he went about writing that book and his second, titled “Aging Out,” which details his journey aging out of the state’s foster care system.
“In order to write, to me, it’s being intentional,” Carter said. “It’s not just about writing,but it’s about putting yourself in a position to produce the best authentic writings that you have.”
In addition to writing, Carter is also a sought-after public speaker. He said he was drawn to public speaking because he heard a lot of public speakers growing up but he couldn’t form a connection with them .
“I wanted to be a public speaker that people could relate to and that they felt like they understood,” Carter said.
Carter’s visit was one of several author visits that have happened at Epic. If you would like to learn more about in-person events that are coming up you can check out the school’s calendar by clicking here.
