from Growing Up
Russell Baker
Summary
Copyright © McDougal Littell Inc.
Setting: Belleville, N.J., 1930s (during the Great Depression)
In this autobiographical piece, Russell Baker describes his first job. His mother,
worried about his lack of gumption, got him a job selling magazines on the street.
At first, he sold no magazines. Finally, his mother asked his younger sister, Doris, to
help him. Doris, who had plenty of gumption, sold all of the magazines. Russell sold
magazines for three years. Finally, his mother admitted that he should try to find a
less competitive career. When Russell brought home a school composition that had
earned an A, his mother suggested that he could be a writer. The idea appealed
to Russell. A writer’s life does not involve lugging heavy canvas bags of magazines
around and ringing the doorbells of strangers. Best of all, writers don’t need to
have gumption. Russell decided that he would like to become a writer.
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UNIT FOUR NOTHING STAYS THE SAME