Hollywood screenwriter shares his inspirations

In the face of the greatest despair, true art is often born. The work of Antwone Quenton Fisher is such a case. Fisher, the highest paid African-American writer in Hollywood, appeared at the Penn Bookstore yesterday to promote his latest release -- Finding Fish, a memoir of his life set to be made into a major motion picture directed by Denzel Washington. Fish, as he calls himself, recounted his tale to about 40 people, most of whom were students at University City High School. He just sold the screenplay to Hollywood for more than $1 million. He is the first African-American writer to command such a sum. Born in a Cleveland prison to a 17-year-old mother after his father was murdered, Fisher was raised in an abusive foster home. By age 17, Fisher was homeless. Looking for a place to sleep, Fisher was enticed by the U.S. Navy advertisement, "Join the Navy and see the world!" He said he immediately enlisted. Fisher maintained that beneath poverty's thick shell, he remained a romantic at heart, choosing the sea to compose love poems for the "cursing sailors" who lacked the suave command of language necessary for writing to wives and girlfriends. It was through the sale of these verses that Fisher discovered the lucrative profession of writing. Eleven years and six ships later, Fisher returned to the U.S. to look for work. Organizers for yesterday's event wanted to hear Fish's advice to high school students. "What is your message to people who really have talent?" asked Jack Lewis, associate director of Penn's African American Resource Center. Fisher said to explore, find your talent and cultivate it. Valerie Moore, a sophomore from University City, asked, "What really made you hang on?" Fisher said, "I never wanted my foster parents to be right about me," adding that his guardians used to call him hopeless. When asked who should play the starring role of Antwone in the upcoming Finding Fish, Fisher said he would prefer to see a new face take on the challenge -- someone like him, someone real, someone looking for an opportunity. When asked about stardom, Fisher noted, "I'm not doing this for people to know me. I just stumbled into a job that pays well." And he's certainly generous with the profits from his profession. During a book signing afterwards, Fisher spotted a University City student who was a little short on cash, eyeing his book. He offered to buy the book for the student. Fisher resides in Los Angeles with wife LaNette, a '88 graduate of Penn's Annenberg School of Communications, and his baby girl Indigo. He said that he receives The Pennsylvania Gazette, adding that he often browses through it to get names for his screenplays. Fisher's main point: Never lose hope. Like they said to him in the Navy, "Fish, lift your head up, don't ever let me catch you with your head down."