Author Statement
Thank you for stopping by for a visit! I am Bryan D. Jackson, and I'm from Charlotte, NC. I have devoted much of this time in my life to writing fiction for young people. I am of mixed-ancestry; my mother's family came from places in England, France, and Germany. My father's family were Cherokee, an Indian tribe native to the United States, and others in his family line came from Scotland, Ireland, or England. Being of Cherokee extraction is intensely important to me. My Cherokee tribal communities are the Mt. Hood Cherokees and the Cherokee Community of Puget Sound, official satellite entities of the great Cherokee Nation.
As a child, I was insecure and had a lot of difficulty with school. I was considered a slow learner, was bullied a lot, and awkward around girls. Truth is, I was scared to death of them! Later in life, I married the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, who still puts up with me today, but that's another story. Eventually, I went on to college and graduated. Despite my early school troubles, my mother instilled in me a love for reading and writing. She would take me to the public library as a reward. My favorite children's picture book is Go, Dog. Go! Ever read it? It is a key to life for the dog lover!
I worked a lot of different jobs over the years. I was a theater concession attendant. I washed dishes for a time. I was a policeman. I was a dog trainer, doing a job that I dearly loved. The dogs are some of my best friends in the universe; I love all animals and, as a Cherokee descendant, I believe they are our relatives, just as humans are. You will usually find a dog in my stories, doing something noble or courageous, or just "being there" for the main character. Do you have a favorite breed of dog?
Later in life, I went to seminary and became an ordained minister. I was a children's pastor for a time. For a while, I was a hospital chaplain, a minister who visits and prays with the sick and dying. I served in pediatric oncology, ministering to children with cancer and their families. As a young person, I became terribly sick with cancer myself. It was an awful, scary time, but I survived, and I am thankful that I went on to write for young people. I love writing for you!
Although I am older now, my 6th-grade teacher, "Miss Reed," still stays in touch with me. She is my all-time favorite teacher! She reads my stories, articles, and generally cheers me on. She has been one of the great blessings in my life. These days, we chat on the phone, send each other emails, and we love to hear each other laugh.
I now live on an island in the middle of the Puget Sound. Besides creating fiction for young people, I sometimes write about spirituality, genealogy, eating plant food instead of animal food, and Native American history and culture.
(For Parents) Author Profile and Associations
Bryan D. Jackson is an Eastern Cherokee successor. He shares a heritage relationship with the Cherokee Nation as a registered descendant in the First Families of the Cherokee Nation (Sonicooie) and holds placement in the First Families of the Twin Territories (Indian Territory). Active in his tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest, he is also a multi-chapter affiliate of the Trail of Tears Association, a long-term member of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Cherokee, NC, as well as the Cherokee National Historical Society, Tahlequah, OK. Bryan earned undergraduate and graduate degrees (Pfeiffer College, 1985, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2000), was ordained to the ministry at the turn of the century, completed nine units of clinical pastoral education in various hospital systems, with postgraduate work in Bowen family systems theory at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family (Georgetown Family Center) in Washington, DC.
Bryan is also a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the Independent Author Network. He resides in King County, Washington, surrounded by the scenic waters of the Salish Sea. He shares sacred space with his wife, Penelope Jackson, a specialist in sustainable investing, and their opinionated cattle dog/retriever mix, Lyric.
Other Contributions
In addition to his books and other works, Bryan is a contributing writer for The Christian Citizen and "Talking Leaves," the newsletter of the Mt. Hood Cherokees, as well as the Center for Nutrition Studies. His writing has also been published in the Family Systems Forum ("Defining Self to the Family Dog," 2018, and "Theory, Philosophy, and the Responsibility for Self: Bruce Lee as Theoretician," 2020). In addition, he has contributed to such publications as Law Officer: Tactics/Technology/Training, the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers, Liberal Lectionary Resources, and the Whole Health News. He won "1st Honorable Mention" in the Oklahoma Genealogical Society's 2011 writing contest with an essay on his Cherokee heritage titled "Emma Calling."
