I don't know how I became a writer, but I think it was because of a certain force in me that had to write and that finally burst through and found a channel.
I
do
n't
know
how
I
became
a
writer
,
but
I
think
it
was
because
of
a
certain
force
in
me
that
had
to
write
and
that
finally
burst
through
and
found
a
channel
.
My people were of the working class of people.
My
people
were
of
the
working
class
of
people
.
My father, a stone-cutter, was a man with a great respect and veneration for literature.
My
father
,
a
stone-cutter
,
was
a
man
with
a
great
respect
and
veneration
for
literature
.
He had a tremendous memory, and he loved poetry, and the poetry that he loved best was naturally of the rhetorical kind that such a man would like.
He
had
a
tremendous
memory
,
and
he
loved
poetry
,
and
the
poetry
that
he
loved
best
was
naturally
of
the
rhetorical
kind
that
such
a
man
would
like
.
Nevertheless it was good poetry, Hamlet's Soliloquy, Macbeth, Mark Antony's "Funeral Oration", Grey' s "Elegy", and all the rest of it.
Nevertheless
it
was
good
poetry
,
Hamlet
's
Soliloquy
,
Macbeth
,
Mark
Antony
's
``
Funeral
Oration
''
,
Grey
'
s
``
Elegy
''
,
and
all
the
rest
of
it
.
I heard it all as a child; I memorized and learned it all.
I
heard
it
all
as
a
child
;
I
memorized
and
learned
it
all
.
He sent me to college to the state university.
He
sent
me
to
college
to
the
state
university
.
The desire to write, which had been strong during all my days in high school, grew stronger still.
The
desire
to
write
,
which
had
been
strong
during
all
my
days
in
high
school
,
grew
stronger
still
.
I was editor of the college paper, the college magazine, etc., and in my last year or two I was a member of a course in playwriting which had just been established there.
I
was
editor
of
the
college
paper
,
the
college
magazine
,
etc.
,
and
in
my
last
year
or
two
I
was
a
member
of
a
course
in
playwriting
which
had
just
been
established
there
.
I wrote several little one-act plays, still thinking I would become a lawyer or a newspaper man, never daring to believe I could seriously become a writer.
I
wrote
several
little
one-act
plays
,
still
thinking
I
would
become
a
lawyer
or
a
newspaper
man
,
never
daring
to
believe
I
could
seriously
become
a
writer
.
Then I went to Harvard, wrote some more plays there, became obsessed with the idea that I had to be a playwright, left Harvard, had my plays rejected, and finally in the autumn of 1926, how, why, or in what manner I have never exactly been able to determine.
Then
I
went
to
Harvard
,
wrote
some
more
plays
there
,
became
obsessed
with
the
idea
that
I
had
to
be
a
playwright
,
left
Harvard
,
had
my
plays
rejected
,
and
finally
in
the
autumn
of
1926
,
how
,
why
,
or
in
what
manner
I
have
never
exactly
been
able
to
determine
.
But probably because the force in me that had to write at length sought out its channel, I began to write my first book in London, I was living all alone at that time.
But
probably
because
the
force
in
me
that
had
to
write
at
length
sought
out
its
channel
,
I
began
to
write
my
first
book
in
London
,
I
was
living
all
alone
at
that
time
.
I had two rooms a bedroom and a sitting room in a litter square in Chelsea in which all the houses had that familiar, smoked brick and cream-yellow-plaster look.
I
had
two
rooms
a
bedroom
and
a
sitting
room
in
a
litter
square
in
Chelsea
in
which
all
the
houses
had
that
familiar
,
smoked
brick
and
cream-yellow-plaster
look
.
I don't know how I became a writer, but I think it was because of a certain force in me that had to write and that finally burst through and found a channel. My people were of the working class of people. My father, a stone-cutter, was a man with a great respect and veneration for literature. He had a tremendous memory, and he loved poetry, and the poetry that he loved best was naturally of the rhetorical kind that such a man would like. Nevertheless it was good poetry, Hamlet's Soliloquy, Macbeth, Mark Antony's "Funeral Oration", Grey' s "Elegy", and all the rest of it. I heard it all as a child; I memorized and learned it all.  He sent me to college to the state university. The desire to write, which had been strong during all my days in high school, grew stronger still. I was editor of the college paper, the college magazine, etc., and in my last year or two I was a member of a course in playwriting which had just been established there. I wrote several little one-act plays, still thinking I would become a lawyer or a newspaper man, never daring to believe I could seriously become a writer. Then I went to Harvard, wrote some more plays there, became obsessed with the idea that I had to be a playwright, left Harvard, had my plays rejected, and finally in the autumn of 1926, how, why, or in what manner I have never exactly been able to determine. But probably because the force in me that had to write at length sought out its channel, I began to write my first book in London, I was living all alone at that time. I had two rooms a bedroom and a sitting room in a litter square in Chelsea in which all the houses had that familiar, smoked brick and cream-yellow-plaster look.