In 2004, a student in Stacey Flaville-Boop’s 8th-grade English class at Maple Point Middle School in Langhorne started working on an independent writing project. The aspiring author, Hank Curry, shared his novella one chapter at a time with his teacher, who offered constructive feedback and encouragement. Ms. Flaville-Boop, who is still teaching English at Maple Point, says that she recognized his talent as a writer, even when he was just 13 years old. She was honored that he shared his work with her, and joked with him that he should remember to dedicate his first novel to her.
Fast-forward to 2020, and Hank Curry is now an actor, writer and director who attended Temple University after graduating from Neshaminy High School, and has been busy since then with a multiple theater and film projects in Philadelphia. His first novel, Body of the Crime: A Tiffany St. Clair Mystery was just published and, as promised, contains a dedication to his teacher which reads, “For Stacey Flaville-Boop / Just like I promised.”
“This was the first time anyone had singled me out as having a specific talent, and it had a big effect on me,” Mr. Curry said when asked about the dedication. “Emboldened, I attempted to write a novel and would show her chapters to get her opinion, which she patiently did. Although that book didn’t end up going anywhere, I did manage to finish it by the end of the year, and on the last day of class she took me aside and said that one day I was going to write a book and I’d better be sure to dedicate it to her.”
“She was joking about that last part, but it always remained buzzing around the back of my mind any time my thoughts drifted towards the notion of writing again. I just thought she’d get such a kick out of it, and I felt she deserved it,” he added.
