Only Child Interviews

SHIRLEY & STEVE O'CONNOR

Shirley and Steve O'Conner are the devoted parents of Charlotte, who is everything they ever hoped for. Having an only child feels both philosophically and physically right to them. Every once in a while a family member or friend will try to plant a seed of doubt, but as longtime practitioners of Yoga, Shirley and Steve know how to keep peace with themselves.

JUST THE "ONE"

Jennifer Niesslein, Editor at Large ~ Co-founder of Brain, Child magazine, and her husband have one child. "It's not something I make a fuss over because, to be honest, we don't have big reasons, philosophical, environmental or medical, for holding the line at one kid. Also, when you make the decision not to do something, the story's a little thin and the scenes behind that decision feel quiet, personal, and, well, slight."

BEN & BARBARA JACOBS

Ben's parents divorced when he was eleven, and he and his mother have been a team ever since. Ben recently completed his first year at Yale and is spending this summer and next year at Beijing University in a Chinese language immersion program. His dream is to work at the Olympics in China in 2008. Barbara has always encouraged Ben's interests and doesn't make him feel guilty about spending time away from her.

AN ADOPTEE & AN ADOPTOR

Robin and Kevin are part of the world of adoption in different ways. Kevin is an adoptee while Robin and her husband are parents of an adopted only child. While Kevin and Robin bring different points of view to the adoption process, both understand that adoption offers tremendous rewards but also requires special considerations. Kevin is the founder of the "Adoption Annex" in Long Island, New York, which provides many different adoption services in one location.

CHILDREN OF SINGLE PARENTS

Shelly, Josh, and Amy were raised by single parents who struggled in different ways to meet the demands of raising a child on their own. Shelly and Josh had very involved mothers. Amy was raised by a father who was physically present but emotionally absent. While the life experiences of these three have been different, all have grown into creative, productive adults.

STEVE & MICHELE BOHANNON

For Steve and Michele Bohannon, adoption was the best route to the family they wanted. They saw how many children needed loving homes and opened their hearts to their only child Sarah. When they started to think about the possibilities of adopting another, however, they were of two minds and ultimately decided that their family was perfect with one.

JUDY, ALLAN, & NATHAN MILLER

The Miller family lives two blocks from where the World Trade Center once stood. Dispossessed by that cataclysmic event, they ended up living together for months in a hotel room even smaller than the smallest New York apartment. Their ability to get along together and make important compromises is a testament to their love for one another and their strength as a family.

WILL & WENDY KNOX

Every family has its challenges. For Will and Wendi, the biggest hurdle was becoming a family in the first place. When they finally had their son Landon, it seemed miraculous. They adore their son but try not to treat him any differently than if they had more than one.

MAX BROOKS

Writer and only child Max Brooks came into his own when he won an Emmy for his work on Saturday Night Live. Being funny is natural for Max, who is the son of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft. What didn't come as naturally was convincing his parents that it was necessary for him to become acquainted with adversity and failure.

JESSICA YOUD

Jessica Youd grew up happy to be an only child. She had a close relationship with her parents and enjoyed their attention. People think that only children are too self-centered to make good parents should get to know Jessica. Today she is the mother of three who credits being an only child with the stamina and patience it takes to raise two girls and three lively boys.

BILL LANE

Bill Lane has had an enviable life as an only child. He is a sought-after interior designer who has decorated the homes and offices of some of this country's most high-profile people. Bill's parents were loving and supportive without being overly involved. As a result, Bill grew up to be a confident person who used his creativity to both satisfy his soul and build a successful business.

KIRSTEN SMITH

Kirsten Smith is one of the youngest and most successful screenwriters in Hollywood. An only child whose parents nurtured her indpendent spirit, Kirsten and her writing partner, Karen McCullah Lutz, have created screen magic with 10 Things I Hate About You and last summer's huge hit Legally Blonde. Kirsten tells us how being an only child helped launch her on a very successful writing career.

JOE REEGAN

Twenty-two-year-old Joe Reegan is an only child who was raised by a single mother. Joe recently graduated from college with a major in finance, but he has no intentions of becoming an investment banker. That's just too safe for him. Instead, he hopes to make it as an actor. Totally focused on his goal, Joe has no fears about venturing into a world more vicious than the one inhabited by bulls and bears.

LYNN HUANG

Born in 1978 just after the Chinese government began its one child per family campaign, Lynn overcame a difficult childhood and adolescence to become a confident, outspoken young woman. Her strong desire to help others has inspired her to become a doctor, Lynn maintains that only-child determination has been a significant factor in her success.

IRA Wohl

Ira Wohl is a psychoanalyst and filmmaker who won an Oscar in 1979 for his film Best Boy, a documentary about his then 52-year-old cousin Philly. Ira's only-child independence has been the catalyst for a creative life that centers around understanding human behavior.

DR. DAVID YOSHIMARU

David Yoshimaru is an only child who grew up navigating between two worlds. Ultimately he had to separate from his family in order to determine his own fate. Being an only child helped him establish his independence.

MICHELLE LETOURNEAU

There is nothing stereotypical about college student Michelle LeTourneau. Our interview with her reveals an only child who is loving, outgoing, and thoroughly committed to her family. This is a girl who accepts great responsibilities but still knows how to have fun. She is secure and fearless, qualities we would like all children to have whether or not they have siblings. Michelle will make a difference in the world.

DONNA AND JERRY DUNN

People often wonder what happens when only children marry one another. Does it work? Can two only children who are used to having their own space and most of the attention at home compromise with one another? Donna and Jerry Dunn are two only children who have been married for 24 years and still going strong. What's their secret? We let you know.

THE MORRIS FAMILY

Brittani Morris and her parents are representative of many only child families. They are intensely loyal, close, and loving. In order to save money and pay off college loans after graduation, Brittani moved back in with with her parents. The family talks about their relationship and the fulfillment they have realized as an only child family.

JOHN JOHNSON

NEWS ANCHOR

John Johnson was one of the first African-American news anchors on television. He has traveled all over the world covering wars, presidential elections, prison riots, and the OJ Simpson trial. An only child who grew up in the slums of New York and Washington, DC., he is sure that his family would never have made it if there had been other children in the family.

JIMMY DUFFY

A COLLEGE STUDENT SPEAKS OUT

Week after week we receive letters, e-mails, and phone calls from anxious parents who think that their only child will grow up damaged because there are no siblings in the picture. We thought it was about time to hear from only children themselves. Jimmy Duffy, an 18 year old student at Berkeley, has had his share of challenges and met them with grace. His joyful spirit and sensitivity will convince any parent that only children can and do grow up happy and well adjusted.

SHIRLEY JONES

OSCAR WINNING ACTRESS/SINGER

Shirley Jones began singing in her church choir soon after she began to walk. By the time she was 19 she was the star of Rodgers and Hammerstein's film version of Oklahoma. She was an only child who had never met another only child until she left Smithton, PA for the world of show business. She talks about her life and career and how being an only child has influenced both.

MALLORY TARCHER
PRODUCER/
WRITER/
SPORTSWOMAN

Mallory is the only child of the late entertainer, puppeteer Shari Lewis, and publisher Jeremy Tarcher. Steeped in the entertainment business since she was born, Mallory began sitting in on story meetings for her mother's show when she was only seven. She produced Shari's latest show on PBS, The Charlie Horse Music Pizza. Mallory talks extensively about how being an only child has enhanced her creative life and how she and her mother were able to maintain an extraordinary professional and personal relationship.

CHRISTINE LAKIN

A veteran of stage, screen, and television, Christine is an only child who has grown up in an unusual environment. For seven years, Christine has played opposite Suzanne Somers and Patrick Duffy in the role of Alicia (Al) on the CBS sitcom, Step by Step. She talks openly about how being an only child has enhanced her creativity and made her resourceful.

FRANCESS LANTZ

Francess Lantz is an only child and the parent of an only child. She is also the author of eighteen books for young readers. Her latest work, "Someone to Love," is published by Avon Books. It's a poignant story about Sara, a fifteen-year-old only child, whose parents suddenly decide to adopt a baby. Dr. John Landsberg is a remarkable man who combines being a family doctor with writing and making films. Francess and John live in Santa Barbara, California with their son, Preston.

NORA MALONE

Nora Malone is the Head of Village School in Pacific Palisades, California. She ended a difficult twenty year marriage and began rebuilding her life. She has two sons, Timothy and Patrick. On the surface Nora is one of those only children who seemed to have every advantage. The reality, however, is that Nora's father was verbally abusive and her mother childlike and selfish. Nora was always so busy fighting for her identity that she didn't have much time to think about what being an only child meant to her life. It is only recently that she has.

DOUG & CLARE BARR

Doug and Clare Barr are former actors who have had successful television careers. Among Doug's many credits are a two year recurring role on "Designing Women," 110 episodes of "The Fall Guy" and an Emmy nomination for "Two on The Town." While Doug enjoys acting, he finds writing and directing more fulfilling. Claire, who traveled and studied art in New York and Paris, was modeling when she landed a lead role in the critically acclaimed series, "The Paper Chase." Her work in television allowed her the luxury of returning to her original love, making art. This handsome, charming couple has one child, Wilson. Neither Doug nor Claire planned an only child, rather Wilson's status seemed to evolve, until one day both Claire and Doug realized that they were perfectly happy with one terrific child. They were not, however, happy with strangers' prying questions that made them feel guilty for their decision.

DON CARROLL

Don Carroll, an internationally famous New York advertising photographer is an adult only child who barely knows the meaning of the word "spoiled." His almost Dickensian childhood and subsequent success story is an incredible tale that debunks the stereotype of only children unable to face the real world. Don's survival is a testimony to the determination and fortitude that only children possess as their true birthright.

ELEANOR LEANSE

Eleanor Leanse, a successful interior designer in Los Angeles, was eager to talk about being an only child. She had a privileged childhood, but in her mid-forties, became the sole caregiver for her mother who suffered from depression and senile dementia. Eleanor never had a respite from care giving responsibilities until her mother died at age ninety.

ROBERT FAGELS POET/PROFESSOR

R Robert Fagles was the Arthur W. Marks Professor of Comparative Literature at Princeton University and one of the foremost translators of Homer in the world. He was also an only child. Mr. Fagles' published translations of " The Iliad and The Odyssey" were Book-of-the Month Club Main Selections and have been praised by prominent authors and reviewers here and abroad. He received the 1997 PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Mr. Fagles' translations are extraordinary both for their energy and sensitivity to language and feeling. After interviewing Mr. Fagles it is easy to understand the source of the humanity and drive that pervades his work.

SUSAN NEWMAN

Susan Newman is a social psychologist who teaches at Rutgers University in New Jersey. She holds a Ph.D. in social psychology and is the author of "Parenting An Only Child" and ten other books including, "Little Things Long Remembered: Making Your Children Feel Special Everyday" and "It Won't Happen To Me: True Stories of Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse." Ms. Newman has a special perspective on only children. In her first marriage she raised her husband's four children. Those children grew up and left home. After her divorce, Susan remarried and she and her second husband, Richard, had Andrew, their only child. Susan has found the experience of raising Andrew as exciting and rewarding as raising four.