Seeking Work as a Journalist

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"So I went looking for a job. The first job that I applied for was a, the job of my dreams – to be a journalist... We didn’t have journalists and faculty in my university, but I took the subjects that were closest to that particular discipline. So I went to the Atlanta Journal to apply for a job. And the head of personnel listened to my story. He says, 'Come on, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.' Took me to the Rexall drug store across the street; bought me a cup of coffee... He said, 'Listen. You’re not an American. You’re not a southerner. And you’re Jewish. You got three strikes on you before you start. If I give you a job on the paper, you’re going to be in the copy room for the rest of your life making forty bucks a week. Do you have any other skills?' I says, 'Yes, I’m a machinist.' 'Then get the job in it.' So I started looking for a job in a machine shop. Eventually I got a job in Southeastern Machine and Foundry on Marietta Street, and I went to work over there."