Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Dawson.
Hi Greg, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve been a print journalist for 55 years, starting my junior year in high school (1967) when I landed a job at the local newspaper in Bloomington, Indiana, as a copyboy and part-time sportswriter. I attended Indiana University and Oberlin College but never graduated, finding I preferred newsrooms to classrooms.
I’ve worked at six newspapers in five states as a reporter, feature writer, editorial writer, TV critic, metro columnist, and consumer advocate. Since retiring from daily newspapering in 2015, I’ve freelanced as a columnist for local magazines. I’ve written three books based on my mother’s experience as a Holocaust survivor from Ukraine, and my wife, Candy co-authored a collective memoir about coming of age in the ’60s. (gregdawsonbooks.com) Candy and I have two adult children, a granddaughter, and a Havanese named Pepsi.
We volunteer with UMACTransport.org, a California-based organization that assists Ukrainian war refugees seeking to come to America. I’ve attached a recent LA Times story showing how UMAC’s mission touched our lives most poignantly and improbably. https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=99467baa-bc6f-410c-9649-ba087edc0d0a.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
On the whole, we have been fortunate and can’t complain.
Our greatest challenge – and most important role in life – has been parenting an autistic son with a learning disability, now 47, and living independently with the assistance of caregivers.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Not by design but fate, my writing career has been marked by two wildly strange bedfellows: Humorist and Holocaust author.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Being a major-league weenie, I like the Florida heat, and the fact I can wear shorts and sandals almost all year. I detest the terminally grid-locked traffic.
Contact Info:
- Website: hidinginthespotlight.com
