Christmas Cats: A Memory of Lloyd Alexander
By Sophie Masson | December 21, 2011 |
It’s the time of the year when a trip to the mailbox means finding a cheerful bundle of Christmas cards from family and friends all over the world. And it’s this time of the year that I most miss an annual ritual: receiving a Christmas cat card from my dear pen-friend Lloyd Alexander, the great American children’s writer. This will be the fifth Christmas the Christmas cat won’t come, for Lloyd passed away in May 2007. And so in this post, I want to remember him, and what a delight it was to know him.
It’s not always true that a great writer is a great person, but when the two coincide, it’s pure magic. That was certainly the case with Lloyd. From the very first letter he sent me, in January 1997, in response to the enthusiastic missive I’d sent via Cricket magazine(with whom he was associated), after my children and I had finished reading The Chronicles of Prydain, you could tell that here was a generous, warm, intelligent and modest person, a real gentleman in the very best sense of the term. Finding we had a good deal in common—writing, France, music, Celtic myth, travel, and much more—we continued to correspond, and sent each other signed copies of our recently-published books. Lloyd always replied to letters promptly, typing or handwriting on his own distinctive pale yellow letter-paper, with his own drawing of a cat playing the violin(thereby combining two of his great loves, as well as indulging his sense of humour). The elegant envelopes postmarked ‘Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania’ were always welcome arrivals in our mailbox!
Lloyd was always ready with a kind word and a friendly remark, and his generous and perceptive understanding of my own books heartened me enormously, and meant a huge amount to me, as did the warm and intelligent quotes he provided for my publishers when my books started to be published in the USA. Over the years, we shared snippets of information, and exchanged news of family and of friends. He was tickled pink by the knowledge that two of our friends had been inspired to name their kids after him and his characters—one’s friend youngest son was called Taran, another’s eldest son’s two first names were Lloyd Alexander! And we exchanged Christmas cards every year—his featured his own delightful coloured drawings of a fantasy cat world, from the poshest drawing-rooms to the rumbustious tavern, with each year a new scene.
It may surprise non-writers(or perhaps not!), but not all writers are as supportive or as friendly and generous towards other writers as Lloyd was. In a competitive industry where egos can be as big as houses, there is all too often an urge to ‘do down’ or at least ignore other writers. Even when it’s not as bad as that, there can be a sense that really, what do you have in common except that you both write books? But when you do connect on a real level—the personal as well as the artistic—it is a very special friendship, even if that is conducted long-distance, as ours was, for we never managed to meet in person.
I loved his books and continue to do so. They are pure pleasure to read, because everything is so well put together, so deft and exciting and funny and warm and moving and intelligent. And his considerable learning and experience are worn lightly. A man who had travelled very widely and was interested in all kinds of cultures and always curious and intrigued by the amazing richness of the human experience throughout the world, he was also very much a homebody, who dearly loved his city of Philadelphia, where he was born and bred, and where he lived with his family for most of his life, apart from a few years away in Europe(his wife Janine was French). And I am so glad the bright legacy of them will live on. Yet I can’t help feeling a pang at the mailbox, knowing that there’ll be no more Christmas cats.
But I don’t want to end this on a sad note; and so instead, I want to raise a virtual glass, and make a toast. And I hope you’ll join me. Here’s to Lloyd Chudley Alexander, great writer, and great person!
Born in Indonesia of French parents, and brought up in France and Australia, Sophie Masson is the award-winning author of over 70 books for children, young adults and adults. Her latest books include Sydney under Attack (children’s historical novel, Scholastic Australia, 2022) A Hundred Words for Butterfly (adult novella, ES-Press, 2022) and Cock-a-doodle-doo (children’s picture book, (illustrated by Kathy Creamer, little Pink Dog Books, 2022). In 2019, Sophie received an AM (Member, General Division) award in the Order of Australia honours list.
Thank you for introducing me to a wonderful writer and individual; his books are now on my to-read list.
Would that any of us be celebrated in such a warm and sensitive way. Well done, Sophie.
A great tribute! Thanks for sharing it.
I agree with Alex – what a lovely remembrance and tribute to your friend. And, like Rachel, I thank you for the introduction. I gladly raise a virtual Christmas cup with you, and to you, Sophie.
Lloyd Alexander was the ‘patron saint’ of the children’s book discussion group I was in back in the late ’60s/early ’70s. A few years before I started with the group they had all read The Chronicles of Prydain and had written to him. He was so impressed with their letter that he not only wrote back but asked if he could meet with them the next time he was in the DC area.
I met him twice, when he visited our group when he was in town. He was modest, engaging and deeply interested in us, what we were reading and what was important to us. He formed, in my young mind, my lasting impression of how a writer should be.
(The group put on an annual play/collection of skits. One such play coincided with one of his visits. As was tradition with the group, anyone who was in a play witnessed by Lloyd Alexander was made a Royal Prydain. I’m still proud to this day that I was the last person to receive that honor.)
Thanks for this remembrance. He was such a great person and deserves to be remembered.
— Tom
There’s a reluctant reader in my life, and I owe Mr. Alexander a great personal debt for hooking said reader into many late-night reads.
Merry Christmas, Sophie. I’ll join you in your toast.
I LIVED in the world of Prydain in elementary school. A friend an I made maps of the fantasy world and would spend hours pretending we were battling Cauldron Borns and the like.
I’ve known nothing about Mr. Alexander as a person. Thank you for this lovely glimpse. It makes his books doubly special.
One of my strongest memories from elementary school is having Lloyd Alexander’s books read aloud to me during nap time. I’m glad to know he was as wonderful a person as an author.
Also, I think part of what’s great about the online writing community, and this age of technology in general, is that relationships like the one you had with Lloyd Alexander can flourish more readily. As long as we writers can keep up a generous and supportive spirit, of course. :)
Lovely, lovely post. Thanks for sharing!
Cricket magazine was a huge favorite in our house when I was a child. My three siblings and I loved Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain series. Plus, we thought it was super cool a famous author lived not too far from us!
This is a wonderful tribute to a beloved author. Merry Christmas!
What a wonderful tribute to a literary friendship of minds.
Thank-you for letting us know about this marvelous writer who was also thoughtful, sensitive and a gentleman. I look forward to discovering his work. Thanks for sharing your story.
Cheers of the season!
Lovely post, Sophie. I was obsessed with the Chronicles of Prydain when I was a kid, it was part of my formative experiences as a writer. I’m so glad Lloyd was as wonderful in person as his books suggested.
Alexander is of greek origin and is derived from alexandros. its meaning is defender of men. its a very beautiful name!
I loved his books when I was a kid, and they mean even more to me now after reading this. A lovely tribute to what sounds like a lovely man.
I loved Alexander’s books as a kid. I re-read them every few years as an adult. Thank you for sharing your memories of the man.
Oh I loved Lloyd Alexander’s books so much, he was always a favourite of mine. I’m so jealous you had such a lovely relationship with him, Sophie. What a wonderful man, to take so much time and effort with so many people. thank you for sharing him with us
Merry midsummer!
Kate
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