"Winesburg, Ohio: The Strength of God and The Teacher" by Sherwood Anderson

Did you know, Anderson was self-educated and rose to become a successful copywriter and business owner in Cleveland and Elyria, Ohio. He worked for a marketing company that marketed egg incubators. One of the manufacturers he marketed, produced a large batch of defective incubators. Soon, letters addressed to Anderson (who personally guaranteed all products sold) began to arrive from customers both desperate and angry. I’m wondering if some of those letters came from Petalumans. The strain from months of answering hundreds of these letters while continuing his demanding schedule at work and home led to a nervous breakdown in the summer of 1907 and eventually his departure from the company. In 1912, Anderson had another nervous breakdown that led him to abandon his business and family to become a writer. Lucky for us. Enjoy!