Look and Listen

Biography

Born in New York City,1932, went to P.S.6, Bronx Science, Heights College-NYU, English Lit and Philosophy. USArmy 1952-55, Went to University of Madrid, University of Perugia and Courtauld Institute of Art on GI Bill,1955-59, studied Art History, traveled through Europe and N. Africa, wrote Vangel Griffin, short stories and a novella. Married, six children, wrote a Civil War novel that didn't get publshed, worked for Xerox and Houghton Mifflin,started Market Data Retrieval in 1969, CEO for 28 years, stopped writing, sold MDR to Dun & Bradstreet, served as CEO of D&B Debt Collection,elected to Board of Ed in Westport, CT for four terms, elected Chairman, retired, went back to writing short stories and novels. Wife died six years ago, two grandchildren so far. Spend my time writing, splitting wood for my wood stove, hunting, seeing my family, walking my yellow lab, Esau, maintaining website oldtimewriter.com.

Inspiration

My father knew and admired several writers. including Theodore Dreiser, Henry Mencken and especially SS Van Dine, author of the Philo Vance detective stories in which my father was the model for Markham,the District Attorney. I think I wanted him to admire me as much as he admired them. I studied English in college, went into the army, studied in Europe on the GI Bill after I got out and kept reading Shakespeare, Hemingway, Tolstoy, Austen and The King James Bible. I especially loved the way Shakespeare, Hemingway, Lincoln and the Bible used one and two syllable words and vivid images and I loved the characters they brought to life. I wanted to use words and create characters too.