JayWilsonwasmyEnglishteacheratLakeForestHighSchool.Itwashim realizedmypotentialinwriting,andhis mademeawritereventually.

Hewaskindtome,butIhadno thathetookparticularnoticeofme.Therewereother kidsintheclass,andsoonIfellbackintomyusual andthoughtthatIwasjustalittleoveraverageinmostthings.Neartheendoftheterm,webegantoreadtheplay--Macbeth.Believeme,thisisnotaneasyplayforhighschoolstudentstounderstand, Ispentalotoftimereadingit.Afterworkingtillthenightbeforeitwasdue,Iwroteapaperaboutthe —thefirstpaperItypedonatypewriter—andturnedit thenextday.

Igotagood onit,andbelowthegradeMr.Wilsonwrote,“Sure youbecomeawriter.”Thatwasit.Thosesixwordswerewritteninhisclearandneathandwriting.Itwasthefirsttimeheoranyonehad inanywaythatwritingwasa optionforme.We’dneverhadanywritersinourfamilyline,andwedidn’tknowanywriterspersonally,even ,sowritingforalivingdidn’tseemsomething tome.Butthen,justlikethat,JayWilsontappedmyhidden andletmeseeawiderworld.

Overthenext10years,Ioften aboutMr.Wilson’ssixwords.WheneverIfeltdiscouraged,itwasthosesixwordsthatcamebacktomeandgaveme .Whenafewinstructorsincollegegen