I grew up in the '40's and 50's on a small dairy farm in northern Wisconsin, learning early the rigors of physical labor in the barn and fields as well as simple pleasures such as swimming in a nearby river and picking blueberries in a back forty bog. Though poor, because ranking second in my county high school's graduating class of over 200, I was able to attend a state college on a tuition scholarship (renewed yearly if I made good progress). After earning a ROTC commission and an undergraduate degree in English, I completed three years of active duty and returned to the University of Minnesota to earn an M.A. in English and philosophy.