WOW! Press e-Newsletter

Janis F. Kearney

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Dear WOW! Newsletter subscribers:

Welcome the Summer Issue of WOW! Newsletter.

Those of you who have visited our site before will note that while our theme remains the same, our format is better than ever, and our topics, greatly expanded. While we have published the newsletter for two years, the Summer, 2006 issue launches our new format, exciting new information about our book releases, and an invitation to you, our subscribers, to make this a much more interactive newsletter.

Based on conversations and emails from some of you, we will now offer a “Writer's Life” column, which will include personal stories, helpful hints and advice for writers, as well as those whose joy is reading them. We invite your submissions of short-short essays (500 words or less), which offer writing and book marketing tips, personal experiences, or advice useful to our writing audience. Those essays chosen for publication in our newsletter will carry your by-line, as contributing writer! We hope this new column will he helpful to aspiring writers, and some who may already be in the trenches…working on their book.

In WOW! Life Stories, we will continue to share exciting life stories, from across the world. We hope you will consider becoming a WOW! Correspondent, by submitting your own short-short stories (1500 words or less) on your world travels, experiences with different cultures; or other literary pieces that address our mission of Writing our World, and sharing it with our readers.

Janis F. Kearney

Summers anywhere, anytime -in Little Rock, Washington, D.C. or even Chicago-remind me of my childhood summers. No, not the many years of sharing my bed with my sister; or, the endless summers spent working in the cotton fields “from can to can't.” But, those times between May and September, that I recall as my "Summer Reading" season. Even before I could decipher the words I stared at, there was the joy of anticipation because my father had already promised me that reading would change my life.

The truth, of course, is that there were few books in our home. There was the bible, and newspapers-usually, four or eight page weeklies. There was the Electric Cooperative Extension magazines that came monthly; and Mama's treasured cookbooks. Each of these, at one time or another was a source of my reading sessions. And, even this hodgepodge of books and newspapers and magazines satisfied my love for reading. The simplest of books became invaluable sources of joy and possibilities.

Because the Kearney household centered around school, work and church, there was little “me” time for my siblings or myself. Asking for a space or a corner or a room of our own, would have been laughable. But, summers did offer that small window of time between the cotton chopping season and the school year, when I could indulge in the one thing I loved so very much. Those precious summer hours as the days lengthened were perfect for stealing out to our backyard, and settling beneath the black walnut tree. Sometimes, if my younger brothers weren't home; I could even hide away in our coed bedroom, and stretch out across the bed, with a book.

Only a true booklover can attest to the sweet pleasure of reading, and know how completely it soothes the spirit, and calms the nerves. No other past time allows us, within our own homes, our own spaces, to travel to unknown places, faraway worlds; to lose ourselves in others' stories. And, there is more than just the joy of reading. Books, stories change us; add a dimension to who we are; who we can be. Reading almost always makes us better. And, for that one moment, or that hour we leave our realities behind. What power and joy in traveling that never-ending path to new worlds.

By Frank Ross, as told to Janis F. Kearney

Foreword by Richard D. Parsons, Chairman and CEO, Time Warner Inc.

When he first set foot on American soil in 1951, Frank K. Ross was a wide-eyed 7-year-old, dazzled by his first airplane

The Ross boys with and an aunt shortly after arriving in New York: (l to r) Clarence, Winston, Frank and Willie.

ride and the cars, lights and snow of New York. He didn't quite know what to make of it. It was certainly a strange new world, far different from the small towns and sugar fields of his native St. Kitts. But, armed with strong West Indian values, a loving mother and the support of his extended American family, Frank K. Ross transformed himself from an awestruck child immigrant into a pioneer in the world of accounting, forging a successful career for himself and paving the way for countless others.

Quiet Guys Can Do Great Things, Too is a uniquely American story. It is a story as familiar as the multicolored faces of millions of immigrants who washed upon the shores of Ellis Island through the middle of the 20th century in search of a better life. It is a story of sacrifice, courage, perseverance and faith. It is the story of an America still struggling to live up to its promise. It is the story of one man who made that promise real, not only for himself, but also for thousands of others.

As a West Indian immigrant, Frank and his family took a giant leap of faith when they decided to make the journey to America. People of color have always had unique obstacles to overcome as they strove to make a way for themselves in this country. But, imagine a young Frank K. Ross, unfamiliar with either the white or black cultures of America in the 1950s, living in Yonkers, plunged into the thick of the civil rights movement and trying to become one of the first black people to make it in the old boy world of corporate accounting.

Like so many immigrants before and after him, Frank K. Ross quickly learned that the reality and myth of life in America were often at odds, especially for people of color. But he saw that not as a barrier to his success, but as a challenge to be met and overcome with persistence and faith.

Frank with former KPMG Washington, D.C. former Managing Partners: (from left) Tony Natelli, Dave Fowler, Frank and James T. Boyle.

In 1966, Frank K. Ross became one of a handful of black accountants in America when he joined the firm of Peat Marwick, which later became KPMG. He was a founding member and past president of the National Association of Black Accountants. He has been a staunch advocate of equal opportunity and quality education. He has consistently taken time to mentor young people. And he is a visionary who has always understood that just getting in the door of corporate America is not enough. You have to make a difference once you get there and hold the door open for others to follow.

Every young, aspiring professional, whether an immigrant from another land or a native of this great country, should read Quiet Guys Can Do Great Things, Too. It is a fascinating coming-of-age story and a valuable road map for those seeking success, not only in public accounting and business, but also in life.

Excerpted from Quiet Guys Can Do Great Things, Too by Frank Ross. Copyright 2006 by Frank Ross. Excerpted by permission of Writing Our World! Press Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced without permission in writing from the publisher.

If you are interested in becoming a contributing writer for our Writer's Life column, or a contributing editor for WOW! Life Stories, send us your best submissions to editor@writingourworldpress.com

Note: Please click on about WOW! Press to read more about WOW Press' two new titles, both coming this summer, and visit our online store to purchase either or both books.