James Mc Bride (writer) - Early Life

Early Life

McBride's father, the late Rev. Andrew D. McBride (August 8, 1911-April 5, 1957) who died of lung cancer at age 45, was African-American, and his mother (Ruchel Dwajra Zylska later changed to Rachel Deborah Shilsky later changed to Ruth McBride Jordan) (April 1, 1921-January 9, 2010) was a Jewish immigrant from Poland. He was raised in Brooklyn's Red Hook housing projects, James was the last child Ruth had from her first marriage, and the eighth of 12 children and last child of Rev. Andrew McBride. "I'm proud of my Jewish history," he has said. "Technically I guess you could say I'm Jewish since my mother was Jewish...but she converted (to Christianity). So the question is for theologians to answer. ... I just get up in the morning happy to be living." His book The Color of Water talks about his family history and his mother.

Two of his older brothers, Dennis and Billy, graduated with doctorates in medicine, but that didn't appeal to James McBride. He received an undergraduate degree in music composition from Oberlin College in the year 1979. Later on, he received a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.James McBride currently lives in New York. He is married, and has three children, Azure, Jordan and Nash.