'An expression of my own life'

 

“I arise full of eagerness andenergy, knowing well what achievement lies ahead of me.” – Zane Grey

 

Born in Ohio at the end of January 1872,Grey was intrigued by history at an early age and started writing about it whilestill in college, even though “Writing was like digging coal,” he said abouthis early efforts.  “I sweat blood. But the spell was on me.”

 

Grey self-published his first novelbut when sales exploded, Harper & Row took his next one and the rest, asthey say was history – both literally and figuratively.

 

Besides more than 70 Westerns(adapted into 112 films), he wrote 2 hunting books, 6 children’s books, 3baseball books, and 8 fishing books.   His total book sales –which made him a millionaire many times over – surpassed $40 million (todate since many of the books are still in print).

 

 A star baseball player incollege and a frequent brawler as a young man, his writing depicting bothathleticism and fistfights were often cited by his readers when talking aboutthe "realism" brought out in his books.  

 

“Well, what is writing,” heresponded, “but an expression of my own life?”