George Morgan, 鈥�11 English
Rocketing to Renown
By Marya Jones Barlow
George Morgan has earned a lot of rave reviews since he published Rocket Girl: The Story of Mary Sherman Morgan, America鈥檚 First Female Rocket Scientist, the remarkable true story of his mother鈥檚 unheralded role as a heroine of the Space Race. The BBC produced a documentary on his 2013 book; Scientific American called it 鈥渁 dramatic, suspenseful tale;鈥� Publishers Weekly labeled it 鈥渁 compelling read;鈥� and the Washington Post, Slate, and Discover magazine gave it positive reviews.
But Morgan鈥檚 most cherished reviews have come from readers.
鈥淥ne reader said, 鈥榊our book made me lose weight.鈥� When I asked him how that happened, he said, 鈥業 only read when I鈥檓 on the treadmill, and I couldn鈥檛 put it down,鈥欌�� Morgan recalled. 鈥淭he most gratifying comments, however, come from young women who tell me the book convinced them to go into math or science. Changing someone鈥檚 life鈥攊t doesn鈥檛 get any better than that.鈥�
Morgan is quick to point out how his own life changed as a result of CI鈥檚 English Program. He first began writing Rocket Girl as a student in Professor Joan Peters鈥� non-fiction class.
鈥淭he book would not exist without the training and faculty support I received at CI,鈥� Morgan said. 鈥淏efore CI, I had no formal training as a writer and I knew I did not yet have the skills to accomplish my goal of researching and bringing forth my mother鈥檚 lost legacy.鈥�
Already the owner of a successful insurance agency, Morgan entered CI at the age of 53 with the goal of telling his mother鈥檚 story. It was a story Mary Sherman Morgan had kept well-hidden 鈥� even from her own family 鈥� until her death in 2004. As her son reconstructed his mother鈥檚 life for her obituary, he learned she had invented hydyne, the rocket fuel that launched the nation鈥檚 first satellite, Explorer 1, and proved essential in cementing America鈥檚 role in the Space Race. However, because the information in the obituary was undocumented, the Los Angeles Times refused to publish it.
鈥淚 made a vow then and there that I would find a way to write my mother into the history books where she belonged,鈥� Morgan said.
Morgan accomplished that and more. He鈥檚 in discussions with filmmakers about adapting the book to a screenplay. As the Playwright in Residence at CalTech, he鈥檚 created and staged a trilogy of science-themed plays, including one based on his mother鈥檚 story. He鈥檚 also the author of multiple award-winning plays, screenplays and novels. In June, he will receive his MFA from the University of California鈥檚 Palm Desert writing program. The Santa Paula resident and his wife, Lisa, have six grown children in a 鈥測ours-mine-and-ours family鈥� and two adopted foster children.
Morgan also tours the country, promoting Rocket Girl and doing readings. In February, he returned to CI鈥檚 campus to read and discuss the book with an audience of more than 50 fans and some familiar faculty faces, including Brad Monsma, Joan Peters, Julia Bal茅n, Luda Popenhagen and Andrea Marzell.
鈥淟ike my mother, CI鈥檚 English Program has not gotten the attention it deserves,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an undiscovered gem and I predict we will see a number of successful writers being developed there. When young people ask where I think they should apply for a great university writing program, I always recommend Channel Islands.鈥�
Learn more on Morgan鈥檚 website, .
Return to the Table of Contents漏 Spring 2014 / Volume 18 / Number 1