Discovered W. Somerset Maugham in about 5th grade. Didn't understand the plots, but loved the descriptions.

The Great Gatsby, the finest novel ever written.

It is hard to compare the eras, but Joe Jackson and Ty Cobb from the past, Sandy Koufax and Roger Clements from the present.

Yogi Berra, Bill Lee, they were irreverent, poked fun at the stodgy owners and managers.

In the 70s and 80s, I made a good living. Have managed my funds carefully, will never have to go out and cadge quarters from the tourists.

1946, if my memory is correct. Harry "The Cat" Brecheen went against the Red Sox in Game 7. I stayed home to listen, practically had my head inside the radio.

I am an old-fashioned storyteller. I try to make people laugh and cry. A fiction writer's duty is to entertain. If you can sneak in something profound or symbolic, so much the better.