One of his first jobs was delivering newspapers, and he later became a high-school stringer and writer for the local Etowah Enterprise, and for two of the region's dailies, the Chattanooga Times and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
His first job involved delivering newspapers. Later, he worked as a high-school stringer and writer for the local Etowah Enterprise, and also contributed to two regional dailies: the Chattanooga Times and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.