Dr. Stephen Russell speaks to MBHS students

A father of three. A runner. A teacher. A physician. A writer. Dr. Stephen Russell is all of these things and more. Visiting Mountain Brook High School for its inaugural Real World Writers Series, Russell asked students to see people beyond their labels — to practice equipoise.

As a physician, Russell’s love of reading, particularly, has helped him to achieve this quality. He reminded students that “people are complex” and that reading different stories helps us all to see the world differently.

The Real World Writers Series, hosted by the MBHS Library and Writing Center, aims to bring speakers from various professions to speak about writing in their professional worlds: beyond the world of schooling.

As a physician and published author, Russell has an interesting perspective. The theme of his talk was “finding your humanity,” and he reminded students how important the act of reading was to being better communicators. 

His advice to students for their future careers reflects his belief in seeing the world through different perspectives. “A good person in a profession is a creative person.,” Russell said. 

After giving students notecards to reflect on what they considered to be a writer, what makes a writer effective, and what makes a writer better, Dr. Russell asked students to watch a clip from Tangled.  In the pivotal scene, Rapunzel tells the seemingly savage barbarians around her, “Find your humanity!” Students were asked to consider the significance of this scene — everyone has another side, another layer.

Mead Oliver, a senior, said, "As an aspiring doctor and huge fan of English, it's really exciting to see the medical and writing world collide. Dr. Russell talked freely about his journey as an author in relation to his job as a physician, and it definitely made me realize that a career in medicine didn't have to be the end of my writing journey."

While visiting MBHS, Russell encouraged students to write (giving out three writing books as door prizes) and offered to mentor students who commit to write daily during November’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

To conclude his visit to the school, Russell had a sit-down lunch with Mrs. Denise Trimm’s creative writing class, The Muse. He inspired her students to read and write more and answered practical questions ranging from writing villains to publishing difficulties.

Senior and Muse editor, Simona Shirley, was inspired by Dr. Russell’s visit: "Dr. Russell helped us understand that even though writing a story and sharing it with the world can sometimes be a strenuous and frustrating process, it's a highly rewarding and enlightening experience that everyone can have — as long as they give themselves the time."

-Submitted by Christina McGovern