A Jan. 13 article by Angela Hill of the Oakland Tribune provided the following look at Reed's ability to overcome childhood challenges thanks in large part to the support of her mother and father:
[Reed's literary accomplishments are] not bad for someone who, when she was in kindergarten, was told by teachers and various education experts that her multiple learning disabilities, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, would prevent her from ever reading or writing, much less accomplishing much in life at all.
"Some people have stopped their lives after hearing something like that," Reed, 32, said from her West Oakland home, where she lives with her parents, renowned author Ishmael Reed and choreographer Carla Blank.
"But with my family, that's not our M.O.," Reed said, with a knowing grin. "We don't stop. Since I was a kid, I was always told to write 10 minutes a day. So I wrote journals and poems. It really comes naturally."
Labels: success, parents, writing
Posted By: Aspen/CRC
