Songwriter, guitarist and author Jeff Zentner came to speak to English II, III students and book club members Nov. 9, in the auditorium.

Zentner lives in Nashville, TN and he is the author of New York Times Notable Book The Serpent King, as well as Goodbye Days. He’s released five albums and appeared on recordings with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Thurston Moore, Mark Lanegan, Lydia Lunch and Debbie Harry. He has won many individual awards such as the William C. Morris Award, the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, the International Literacy Association Award, and the Westchester Fiction Award.

“The purpose was to expose students to a published author to promote reading and writing.” librarian and book club adviser Tina Sanders said. “Students in some english classes and members of the book club were invited.”

College Park High School invited Zentner to speak and he agreed to come if they could arrange additional school visits to stop by multiple places. He visited three high schools in the district.

“Mr. Zentner talked about how his music career never was the success he desired, so he began to teach music to teens,” Sanders said. “He had a friend who was publishing a book and it gave him the idea to write stories for young adults.”

It took Zentner about nine months to write his first book, The Serpent King, which he actually started on his phone and then
published. “I learned that there’s ways to express your ideas and that aside from other things in life,” junior Wendy Aguilar said. “Expressing your ideas could catch the attention of many and you’ll actually affect many people’s lives.”

Zentner’s third book, Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee, is coming in February 2019.

“The point of his speech was if one dream doesn’t work out, begin something else,” Sanders said.