My Three Teenage Newspapers

As early as I can remember, I always wanted to know everything about everything. Nothing was beyond my desire. In grammar school, the local library had a “junior” section for us kids and I was devouring books at a massive rate. One day, the old lady librarians called me over to the desk and told me I was no longer restricted to that section; I could take out any book in the place.

I have always credited the Stratford Library Association with helping, in great deal, with making me who I am today.

Later, when I was a few years older and attending high school, I began reading two newspapers a day: the Bridgeport Post, pretty much in its entirety, and the New York Daily News, because it was easily available. Couple of years later, I added the New York Times.

After that came shortwave news stations and U.S. news magazines. Then nobody on the school bus wanted to talk to me because we had nothing in common. They wanted to talk about the ball game and I wanted to talk about the African colonial regime collapsing and the new nationalism movement. I was in radio news by that time and the split between me and the other students was pretty much complete.

My grandfather felt that the educated person should have the best dictionary and the best atlas. I used them and have inherited them. Of course, I’ve updated, but they were my start.