Book Cover of Professor James Cooper Debut Novel, Moonlit Massacre. (Photo,MediaOCU/Angel Bell)
Oklahoma has a long and rich history of storytelling, with authors like Tulsa native S.E. Hinton, best known for The Outsiders or Oklahoma City native Ralph Ellison, whose novel Invisible Man was included in Time magazine’s list of 100 Best English-Language Novels from 1923 to 2005.
Oklahoma is no stranger to renowned authors and best-selling novels. So it wouldn’t be a surprise that another Oklahoman just released their debut novel, which has become a number 1 best seller.
Yet, this author is not just an Oklahoman, but an Oklahoma City University Professor and Oklahoma City Councilperson.
OCU’s English Artist in Residence and Oklahoma City Ward 2 Councilor, James Cooper, debut novel, Moonlit Massacre, has introduced a fresh and unique voice to Oklahoma storytelling.
Professor James Cooper attended the University of Oklahoma, focusing on Film Studies and Political Science, specifically on media violence and its actual effect on the human brain. He then went to Oklahoma State University to obtain his MA in English; Cooper then found his way to OCU to explore more in the research of what would become his debut novel, Moonlit Massacre.
The Campus asked Professor Cooper about his literacy influences and how they impacted him and his writing: “Horror director Wes Craven influenced me to become a writer and English professor (he was both). Cormac McCarthy, author of Blood Meridian and No Country for Old Men, influenced my approach to stark, concise sentences. The film and novel A Single Man helped me think through how to write about marginalized characters and how to write fiction almost like a super scary poem.”
Cooper’s novel has various themes intertwined, such as literary horror, historical fiction, and true crime. Moonlit Massacre is inspired by a horrendous crime that took place in Oklahoma City in 1978, where six individuals were murdered in a Sirloin Stockade restaurant.
Moonlit Massacre is a novel that focuses on the resilience of the Oklahoma City community, the impact of a crime like this, and how a community can come together in the wake of a tragedy.
Cooper shared his inspiration for the story, and his reasoning for focusing on the community instead of the crime, “When the Columbine High School shooting in April 1999, I was a junior at Choctaw High School. Politicians in both major parties, media commentators, and too many parents were quick to blame why those two students killed their classmates on Mortal Kombat, Marilyn Manson, Biggie and Tupac, the video game Doom—and, as always, horror movies. And I was like, wait, you’re naming all these things I love, and I haven’t ever been in a fight. So, something’s wrong with this argument.”
Cooper expressed how the media focused more on “what could have caused” the act instead of focusing on the story of the individuals that this act impacted.
Professor James Cooper’s journey to writing this novel was long, as it took him twelve years to finish Moonlit Massacre.
The Campus asked Cooper what the most significant challenge he faced while writing his debut novel was, “True crime is not my favorite genre. I have a lot of ethical issues with it, which presented my first challenge and a decision not to tell a story about the actual people who went through the murders in that walk-in freezer. So, I dedicated all of 2012 to thinking about who those people would be working there. There were six real-life people — four teenagers, a manager, and a janitor — so I could create my version of those characters. I could create their backstories.”
Cooper wanted to take the time to research the victims of the crime and create his version of those characters, not wanting to duplicate the lives of the victims but to honor them and Oklahoma City in his own way.
To learn more about Professor James Cooper and his debut novel, Moonlit Massacre, visit https://www.jfcauthor.com/
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