ABOUT THE AUTHOR
An Autobiography of David A. Ross
I was born and raised in St. Paul and played baseball,
wrestled and eventually graduated with a degree in history from
the University of Minnesota. During college, I worked part time
and joined the Army Reserves. After completing my enlistment, I
was honorably discharged as a first lieutenant. I was then hired
as a salesman and transferred to New York City. Upon arrival, I
found a car at LaGuardia Airport waiting for me with instructions
to head to Mt. Kisco. While admiring the sights and not paying attention,
I pulled into the middle of the Whitestone Bridge's tollway without
any change or clue. I got out and walked to the tollbooth for change,
while a million angry motorists hollered and honked their horns
at me. Welcome to New York! In no time, I had a handle on the city
and fell in love with Yankee Stadium where I could go and pretend
to live out my boyhood dreams. I eventually discovered Wall Street
and realized that if those guys could do it, so could I. After I
got my series seven license, I realized that being a broker is kind
of like being an elite telemarketer. I soon returned to Minnesota
and in no time at all, was nestled in a vine-infested mansion, driving
a BMW, sailing and had an entourage of lovely ladies who hoped I
might be "the one." Then, one day I went insane and told everyone,
"I want to be a writer." They always say a fool and his money are
soon parted and sure enough, I found myself impoverished, dateless,
and surrounded by rejection slips. On the bright side, my friends
told me, "But Dave, you're a better person now," as my faith returned.
In striving to become a writer, I have suffered an enormous opportunity
cost. Based on my previous earnings and what the market has done
since I left the business, I probably walked away from a million
dollars worth of income. Although I could have retired by now and
be basking in the life of leisure I was bred for, I console myself
that I'm a better person. To lessen the blow, I've surrounded myself
with brilliant mentors, take classes, work diligently and read nonstop.
I work in sales until the day hopefully comes when I can write all
the time. My hobbies and interests include chess, rollerblading,
biking, theology, photography, reading, and traveling.
My publishing experience is limited to about ninety
credits. I've listed thirty-one of them with a complete listing
upon request.
- West Virginia's Help Won't Be Forgotten - Huntington Herald
Dispatch -May 20, 2002
- Stopping the Steamroller - Smile - Winter 2001-2002
- Getting Lost in the Shuffle - Northern Stars Magazine - May/June 2001
- 2 Big Fat People - Mar-Apr 2001 - Poetry Protocol - p
- Winner of the Poetry Forum Chapbook Contest - February 2001
- Trying to Look Smart - The Plowman - 2000 vol. No. 11
issue No. 1
- A Slight Oversight - Thalia: Studies in Literary Humor, Department
of English, University of Ottawa, Canada - Winter 2001
- Harry Potter and the King James Bible - Mystical Rose - Oct
2000
- Candidate Gore is all talk, no action - Huntington Herald-Dispatch
- Sept 2000
- Telemarketing - Poetry Protocol - March 2000
- The Eighteenth Prophet - Voices From the Well / Karawane- March 2000
- A book review on A Restless Flame by Louis de Wohl - Mystical
Rose - May 2000
- Getting Worked Up Over Nothing - Born
Magazine, - June 2000
- A Life In Sales - Writer's Exchange - Issue #48, Summer 2000
- An Unforgettable Election - The Scroll - March 2000
- The Postcard - Smile -winter 2000
- Publishing Credits - The Storyteller - Oct 2000
- Tricky - Fantasque - Issue no. #5 - Jan- 2000.-s
- Cellelofrates Saves Earth's Animals - Scroll Publications -
Fall 1999
- A book review on Barabbas by Par Lagerkquist - BookLovers -
August 1999
- The Tree Cutters - Sept 99 in the book - The Unbroken Circle
- The Car Won't Start - Nov, Dec 1999 - Guild & Poetry Protocol
- The Critic - Northern Stars Magazine - November 1999
- 24. Linear Misanthrope - Short Stories Bimonthly June 1999
- The Power of Three Letters - Rockhurst Review 1999 - A Fine
Arts Journal - Dept of English, Jesuit College of Kansas City.
Annual Issue
- Playing Roulette on Cellelofrates-Faydraw- June 1999
- The Deer Hunter-The Storyteller-Sept. 1999
- The Public Figure-Quill Books, in their book A Time to be Free,
June 1999
- The Skeleton In The Closet- London Fog-Dec 1998
- Women's Breast Cancer on Cellelofrates- Atrocity Sig of Mensa-
winter 98 -s
- The Astronaut Orbiting Cellelofrates- Fayrdraw-September 1998
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