The Joy and Wisdom of Grandparenting
Originally published in GRAND Magazine Issue 15 March April 2007 BY MARY ANN COOPER It was classical music that shaped the musicianship of the young Neil Sedaka. At the age of 8, he had already begun his intensive classical piano training at the prestigious Juilliard School of Music, practicing up to five hours a day. … Read more
Susan L. Taylor. To many, her name and face are synonymous with Essence Magazine, the African-American women’s magazine where as a single mother she started as a freelance beauty editor in 1970. It would take her 11 years to rise to editor in chief before climbing to the top of the masthead in 2000, where … Read more
BY MARY ANN COOPER When you have shared the acting screen with Bette Davis and Marlon Brando (“One of the few people I have ever met who didn’t give a damn what anyone thought”), you would certainly have some fond moments. But as the star of one of the country’s most popular soap operas, seen … Read more
Pierce Brosnan – Why is This Man Average? When it comes to grandparents in the media, it’s hard to shake the image of Granny from The Beverly Hillbillies, or Grandpa Walton. But if you really want to see an example of today’s average American grandparent, meet Pierce Brosnan. The average American becomes a first-time grandparent … Read more
Ronnie Milsap talks with Mary Ann Cooper about his passion for his music and his family Country And R&B legend Ronnie Milsap was born blind and into extreme poverty in the Appalachian town of Robbinsville, North Carolina. Unwilling to accept her newborn’s blindness, Ronnie’s mother gave him to his grandparents to raise when he was … Read more
Novelist Nora Roberts celebrates another kind of love: for family, for community and for grandchildren. Like some preternatural beast clawing its way from the womb, [the fire] burst to life with a cackle that rose to a roar. And changed everything in one magnificent instant.” Three years after Nora Roberts wrote-in Blue Smoke-of a fictional … Read more
Puff, the Magic dragon, bent his head in sorrow, lost his green scales and slipped off into his cave after Jackie Paper “came no more,” but that’s only the song. In the new book, based on the lyrics written by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton and illustrated, magically, by Eric Puybaret, Puff finds a new … Read more
Embracing life with enthusiasm is the real secret to that glow from within. There’s a popular bumper sticker being seen in many trendy neighborhoods that reads, “Don’t I Look Too Young To Be A Grandmother?” It makes us wonder whether the driver is making an affirmation of her grandmother status or looking for reassurance. The … Read more
Mega talented Rita Moreno tells Mary Ann Cooper, “I keep thinking I can’t possibly love any more than I do now, and I do.” Little Rosita Dolores Alverio, who would as Rita Moreno later take Broadway and Hollywood by storm playing “Anita” in West Side Story, was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, and moved to … Read more
Martin Sheen – Keeping The Faith BY MARY ANN COOPER Ramón Estévez was baptized moments after having his left shoulder crushed by forceps during his delivery. He was supposed to die, but Ramón, who would later be known as an actor and social activist Martin Sheen, survived and thrived. As a younger man, he developed … Read more
Passing along a heritage of music Growing up, Arlo Guthrie had his future mapped out. He looked forward to living his life as a forest ranger, sitting up in a tower, alone, watching for fires. His vision of a solitary life turned 180 degrees in the late ’60s. Instead of looking out at the trees, … Read more
Small gold nuggets and a tiny golden ring were given to my baby Anna for her first birthday. We are not of royalty. Instead, we are a unique family of two cultures-American and Korean. I was adopted from South Korea by a young Caucasian couple in Iowa. The doctor had told my parents they were … Read more
Carole Carson was nearing her 60th birthday, stepped on her bathroom scale and realized it had broken. What happened next catapulted her from self-loathing to a healthy new life as a national fitness advocate. Carole is a grandmother of nine, and one of her passions is being a role model to them. In 2004 she … Read more
When the readers of GRAND Magazine voted General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), one of the sexiest celebrity grandparents in America, we had no idea that this distinction would make its way into the General’s remarks on the lecture circuit. But after speaking to this remarkable grand, we’ve come to realize how proud he is … Read more
