Image source: npr
Novelist Max Brooks comes from Hollywood parents Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft, but his life has been far from glamorous. Growing up in the late 70s with dyslexia, he did not understand why his brain did not function like his peers. Most people did not understand the disorder and regarded it as “laziness” and “goofing off.” On top of his dyslexia, his father often brought home his stress from work, causing Brooks to feel disconnected from him. However, his mother was his support throughout the hard times- doing everything she could to help Brooks succeed. When he had a hard time reading, his mother would get all his books transferred to audiobooks so he could keep up, and he says he would not have graduated high school without her. Now, Brooks is a successful author with a focus on zombie and doomsday stories. He has published a plethora of books that have become bestsellers, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. His latest book, Minecraft: The Island, promises to be a great story written with Brooks’ unique style.
Read more about Max Brooks in his interview with NPR. Also, explore more dyslexic authors on our page here.