About Claudette Mclennon
As a child I loved reading. I was introduced to books early; at first the Bible. The stories fascinated me even though I didn't know what bullrushes were but I knew baby and donkeys and I could imagine Mary and Joseph baby Jesus. It didn't hurt that Jesus's birthday was Christmas and I would surely get a gift.
My older sister Gee read to and brother Harry regaled me with tales from the Hardy Boys. Thus began my love for books and reading.
I was an avid reader and could read a book depending on number of pages in a day. There was always friendly rivalry in class who could read the fastest. One of the happiest time was when the book Mobile came to school because new books would be coming. However, many of my books were from church - Salem Presbyterian Church. I got prizes (for attendance , knowing the golden text, not being late) and mostly always books and by Grade 4 got only books.
I was caught up with the books/stories so I just made up my own. I loved to write essays so I got the license to write whatever I wanted. It could be outrageous, funny, or fairy tales. My high school friends and I listened docu-dramas on radio. I used to entertain them by describing the characters from their voices and follow it put by finding someone on the street that matched the description. My English teacher at high school enjoyed my creations and my dream was always to write books. I doubted my ability to write a whole book so wrote stories, (I pieces of) prose and poetry. In letter years when coworkers retired, transferred did a tribute for each and put in a frame.
Other coworkers wondered how I did it. It's simply listening. When I entered college, I couldn't afford my books. Even in the 1980s a $100 gave me two books. And because I took 16/18 credits, there were four classes without text books. The greatest problem hated low grades. So, developed keen listening skills. Low grades and me never mixed.
After years of writing poetry, I published ODE TO LILLETROSE in tribute to my mother Lillet Rose. I had entered poetry competition through Eber &Weiss 2015. Keeping my promise to write a novel once I retired wrote SINS OF THE PARENTS. It's about young Marlene Tulloch orphaned at birth, raised by an unforgiving grandmother Estrella who abused her until age twelve when she went to live with older sibling Gloria. At beginning of "SINS" you meet Marlene sick and she takes you back in time.