May Theme - Parents & Writing by Christine Brodien-Jones

Neither of my parents went to college, but they were super-enthusiastic when it came to my literary efforts.  They encouraged my writing in different ways.  And, thanks to them, books played a big part in my life.

I remember my dad and I sprawled out on the living-room floor while he read the Sunday funnies out loud.  Peanuts was his favorite.  It was my favorite, too.    He was always reading books to me: Peter Pan (I wanted to be Wendy), Hans Christian Andersen (The Wild Swans made me wish I had 11 brothers), Uncle Wiggily's Adventures, a book from his childhood about an elderly rabbit with whimsical friends.  There were always books in the house, because the library was a two-minute walk around the corner and my librarian Aunt Hazel (my dad's sister) sent me books for birthdays and Christmas, classics like Heidi and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.



My mom liked to buy me Little Golden Books whenever we went to the A&P.  I spent most of my pocket money on comic books - Superman, Little Lulu and best of all the Classics Illustrated.  After I'd read them all countless times, she'd help me organize comic book sales on our front porch - that way I could make money to buy new comics!  She was my first agent, too, sending my stories to Jack and Jill and other children's magazines, in hopes of getting them published.

My parents always encouraged me - they were confident that one day I'd be published - and although they're gone now, it seems to me they left behind a special legacy.