By David Krogh
Growing Up in Brooklyn Long Ago is a children’s book intended for young readers (ages six to 10) and was written by SE Portland resident Claudia Milazzo Hutchison. No, the Brooklyn in the book is not the Brooklyn Neighborhood in SE Portland. Rather, it takes place in Brooklyn, New York, in Apartment 4A of a six-story apartment building within the Bay Ridge Neighborhood, where the author spent her childhood during the 1950s and early 1960s.
Growing Up in Brooklyn Long Ago focuses on the author and her family from when she was five years old up until she was about 14 and starting junior high school. But the story is not just about the author; it relates to the entire family and also to relatives living in the area. Hutchison is of Italian immigrant descent and there is an interesting mix of culture included within the stories as the readers get to follow the children in the family as they grow, mature and interact with both close and distant relatives and local friends.
Within the book, the chapters are short, easy to read, age appropriate and interesting. In fact, those familiar with Portland author Beverly Cleary and her Ramona Quimby books will find this book of similar interest, with the exception that each chapter is a story in itself. “What a compliment!,” said Hutchison. “My kids loved her books. I suppose some of her style might have rubbed off on me as I read her books with them.”
When asked why she chose to write the book, Hutchison responded, “My kids grew up hearing the stories about my childhood. They, along with my brother, encouraged me to write them down as a family keepsake. I wanted the younger generations of our family to gain a sense of our family’s history and values.”
The author’s professional background includes over 10 years of teaching, both junior high and high school English classes, and community college writing classes, in addition to several years of social service work. “As I developed the stories, it seemed to me that ages 6-10 were the right fit for both reading level and interest/enjoyment level. A close friend, a retired grade school administrator, reviewed the material and agreed.”
Hutchison moved out west by herself. “In my mid-twenties, recently widowed and heart broken, I undertook a month-long trip solo to explore the Pacific Northwest.” She soon met her current husband, Don Hutchison, and has since been happily married for 47 years.
In reading her book one can note many similarities and differences between Brooklyn and Portland in terms of development and livability issues. For example, Brooklyn in the 1950s still had a mix of houses and apartment buildings, like Portland, but with a much higher residential apartment density. And with that higher density fewer people had cars due to the lack of parking and with a stronger dependency on transit use (including ferries and subways).
Along with the higher density, there were fewer open spaces for children to play on, other than sidewalks, while the nearest park was six blocks away across busy streets. In many respects, current Portland seems to be developing along the lines of 1950s Brooklyn. Hutchison said, “Our kids grew up in a quiet residential neighborhood (by Mt. Tabor Park) in the mid 70’s to mid-90’s, a far different setting from those busy Brooklyn streets and backyards. They (my kids) also had more organized after-school activities (growing up in Portland) than I did.”
“Because both my husband and I moved far away from our families, our kids did not have the benefit of growing up with cousins,” stated Hutchison. That proximity to family was part of her enjoyment of growing up in Brooklyn. She concluded, “I have always missed that proximity to loved ones. But once my mother passed away, I no longer thought of Brooklyn as home.”
The author has no plans for a follow-up book. “I’m a ‘one-and-done -er,’” she said.
Information about Growing Up in Brooklyn Long Ago and the author is available at gorhamprinting.com/book/growing-up-in-brooklyn. The book was self-published and printed by the Gorham Printing Company.
Growing Up in Brooklyn Long Ago can be ordered through online outlets and from the Gorham Printing website. Locally, it can be purchased at Belmont Books (3415 SE Belmont St.) and is available through the Multnomah County Library.
Author Claudia Milazzo Hutchison.
