LouAnne Johnson

Q: Did Raul ever pay you back the $100.
A: Yes, he paid me back the day he graduated. He was 20 years old, but he hung in there.

Q: Did Emilio really die?
A: No, he didn't. He spent 4 years in the Marine Corps and now he's married, living in CA with his 2 kids.

Q: What happened to the other kids?
A: Callie went to community college and had another kid. Gusmaro works for a software developer. Durell and Lionel came back to school after their grandma made them quit and work for a semester (and she never called me a honky anything - she was very nice). I saw some of the students in April 2004 and here's what their jobs are: dental hygenist, real estate agent, school secretary, video game designer, mortgage loan officer, electronics engineer, produce manager for a grocery store, nursing assistant -- so I guess they showed the school system that had given up on them!!

Q: Are you still teaching?
A: You betcha! I'm a full-time professor of teacher education and a part-time reading tutor for children.

Q: Are you married?
A: Are you proposing?

Q: Is the movie true?
A: Sort of. The movie is based on my book, My Posse Don't Do Homework, but the Hollywood guys made up a lot of stuff because they thought it would be more exciting. You'll have to decide what you think.

Q: Did you just teach one class like in the movie?
A: No, the first year I taught as an intern for one class. The following year, I had three classes, two were students who didn't speak English. Then I started teaching, full-time (150 kids per year), the kids who were portrayed in the movie. I taught in that program for four years, then moved to New Mexico to attend grad school. I also taught high school and college there. Since then, I've taught off and on, between writing my books. Right now I'm working on a screenplay, a play, some short stories and another novel. You can read about my novels at www.alyceshirleydaughter.com

Q: How can I become a writer?
A: I think most writers are born. But you can decide to become a writer, if you can persist despite isolation, rejection and frustration. First, read a lot - everything, but especially the kind of things you want to write. Then write a lot and ask people to read it -- but don't listen to everything they say. Read The Writer and Writer's Digest magazines, and if you are serious, get a copy of The Writer's Market that is published every year. Then, work really hard, believe in yourself, and don't give up. Eventually, if you write from the heart and you practice your craft, you will get published. Good luck!

Q: What happened to the movie BECOMING EDUARDO?
I was not really involved in the production and I believe that much of Eddie’s great story was lost along the way. That's my opinion (and authors are so opinionated!). But lots of people like the movie and it's going to appear at a festival in Colorado next year. You can check out the movie website at becomingeduardomovie.com I wish the production company good luck. It was definitely an educational experience.