What were Randy's parents like? Did they encourage him to be a writer?

Randy writes, "My dad grew up in Emboden, Arkansas, and moved to Texas as a teenager to run a pool hall with his older brothers. Later he moved to Oregon and had a grocery store, then became a tavern owner who also supplied amusement machines for other taverns. Our house was the repository for several pool tables, two or three juke boxes, pin-ball machines, standing shuffleboards, foos ball, etc. (My friends liked to hang out at my house mainly for that reason.)

"Dad was strict and very resistant to the gospel, and at first was very resistant to my faith in Christ and was disappointed that I wanted to go to Bible college instead of to a university where I ...