Author Idris Goodwin poses for a selfie with Librarian Melanie Whiteley after autographing her copy of his newly published book, capturing a light-hearted moment at the end of his visit.

On December 5th, Parkway North High welcomed renowned playwright, poet, and theatrical arts director Idris Goodwin, best known for creating work for young audiences and authoring theater productions, to showcase his newly published book, “King of the Neuro Verse.” The event was held in the library, where both students and staff were encouraged to attend. 

“I really wanted to write the book that I needed when I was fourteen. I had a really tough time in high school. I learned later in life why that was,” said Goodwin. “This book, even though it’s fiction, it’s based on a lot of my feelings at that time, and the book itself is what I wish I could’ve shared with myself back then.”

While gaining childhood inspiration and a voice through attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, he wanted to broaden his audience further to reach anyone who has ever felt unseen. 

“As a storyteller, I believe you should be able to engage, inspire, and entertain anyone,” said Goodwin.

Storytelling, to Goodwin, is not just about feelings, experiences, or blurring the lines between nonfiction and fiction; it’s also about expressing realistic, difficult challenges when writing a book, too.

“Writing this book was a joy, though that’s not always the case,” said Goodwin. “Sometimes there are a lot of challenges, but I think the universe gives us stories and delivers them into our brains. It’s also challenging because most of us use devices that have multiple uses. Sometimes it can be hard to stay focused and locked in.”

Goodwin has many plans for the future, including turning the book into a series.

“I would love to turn [the book] into a series. There’s a follow-up book I already have outlined, so it’s just a matter of the publisher and just making sure that there’s an audience and appetite for it. Obviously, I want to make sure that there’s people waiting for it that want to read it.”

After discussing his next plans for “King of the Neuro Verse”, Goodwin shifted away and reflected on his hometown roots in Detroit, which have shaped the way he writes today.

“My first job as a teenager was bagging groceries and working in the processing area of bottle returns,” said Goodwin. “That was back in Michigan. You get ten cents back, and so people would bring all these bottles and cans, and I’d sort through them.” 

Though far from the world of writing, his first job taught him patience, observation, community building, and understanding struggles—all important skills for a writer. Having learned those lessons and keeping them in mind, Goodwin hopes his work, along with his book, can also offer something of importance to his readers.

“I hope the book just delivers on its primary purpose, which is to engage and entertain, but then, beyond that, a story people can get lost in and care about. If it [the book] can provide a tiny bit of understanding, either to someone with ADHD, loves someone with ADHD, or even maybe someone who is an ADHD denier, if I could just crack that window a little bit, I’ll feel like I’ve done my job.”