Overcoming the Odds
The Oprah Winfrey Show | September 09, 2005
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For Edward Jones, getting fired was the best thing for his career. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Known World was raised by a single mother who couldn't read or write. Growing up, Edward spent a lot of time in local libraries with his nose in a book. He became the first in his family to graduate from college. Although he had an English degree, Edward never dreamed of becoming an author, so he took a job at a tax journal. There he worked for 19 years until the company downsized, and he was fired. Without a job and with plenty of time, Edward sat down at a computer and finally began typing out the story that had been rattling around in his head for a decade. |
