On a new episode of The Bounceback Podcast hosted by B. Luke, Boston native and author Lauren Miner shares his life story, a journey that spans inner-city neighborhoods, prison time, family transformation, and a growing writing career.
Now 60 years old, Miner opens up about the challenges of being biracial, the impact of street life, and what helped him finally shift his path after multiple incarcerations.
Born to a Black mother from New Orleans and a white father from New York, Miner grew up navigating identity in Boston’s Highland Park (Roxbury), Central Square (Cambridge), and the South End. His formative years (ages 9–18) in Cambridge were marked by bullying, both for being mixed-race and unfamiliar with street culture.
Despite attending an elite private school, Miner remained connected to the streets. By 15, he was selling nickel bags, a decision that would later lead to a string of life-altering consequences.
Miner was once recruited by legendary coach Rick Pitino to play basketball, but that opportunity unraveled after he caught his first case in college. In 1991, he was convicted of armed assault on a dwelling and sentenced to 4–10 years. He served most of his time at Concord and Shirley Medium, before being paroled in 1994.
Parole violations sent him back behind bars, and though he was released again in 2001, his final arrest came in 2010, this time for selling drugs to undercover officers at the age of 45.
Miner credits his transformation to his wife, Iris, whom he’s been with for nearly three decades. The couple raised nine children, and he’s been a stay-at-home father since 2004. His son Sheamus, a Boston University valedictorian, was a major turning point, symbolizing the potential for generational change.
Over the years, Miner worked jobs at Stop & Shop, Target, and is currently a gas station supervisor. But it’s writing that has become his deeper calling.
Miner now runs gangsterofLove.org, where he publishes short essays on faith, growth, and personal accountability. He’s been featured in eight magazines and plans to focus more seriously on writing now that his youngest child is starting kindergarten.
Rather than novels or memoirs, Miner focuses on short-form nonfiction, raw reflections from someone who’s lived multiple lives.
Throughout the episode, Miner returns to key themes: the importance of “individuation,” becoming one’s authentic self, and the need for spiritual grounding in an unpredictable world. He also reflects on how his generation “crashed out” and failed to mentor youth coming up behind them.
For Miner, street life is part of the story, but not the end. “Don’t let the streets rob you of your humanity,” he says. His life now serves as both a warning and a blueprint.
