describes the impact writing has had on his life.
After the army, I held a series of low-paying jobs at a
factory, a mailroom, a post office. I ended up working in
construction, and was having a particularly trying day
when I remembered something a high school teacher had
said to me years earlier: "Whatever you do, don't stop
writing." That afternoon, on my way home after work, I
bought a composition notebook. I started writing in it and
felt more alive right away.
I sent my poems, short stories, and some longer pieces out
to publishing houses and received rejection after rejection.
But I kept at it. I noticed that even though I didn't have a
college degree (I hadn't even technically graduated from
high school), I was able to get better and better jobs
because of my reading and writing skills. Eventually, I
entered a story in a contest run by the Council on
Interracial Books for Children. My entry, Where Does the
Day Go?, became my first published book.
CD
What happened when Myers first
sent his poems and stories to
publishing houses?
They printed Myers' work without
paying him.
They were sure that Myers should stop
writing.
They were unwilling to print Myers
work
They advised Myers to enter a writing
contest