Autobiographical Note by Warren Eyster

I was born in Steelton, Pennsylvania, on January 2, 1925. Except for brief periods, I lived with my grandfather until I was seventeen. I delivered newspapers, sold subscriptions, and at the age of fourteen was a collector for overdue accounts. I learned to live hard at an early age.
At seventeen I was graduated from high school, and took a job with the Army Air Corps as an hydraulic learner. In August of 1942 I met two friends on their way to the Navy recruiting office. I just walked along with them. I enlisted and they did not.
I loved the sea. I found war exciting. I loved going into port. I lost a finger and got shook up a bit. I spent some time in a naval hospital and then worked in a mental hospital. After this, I became a pest-control sailor on a naval base in swamp land, and spent my time hunting down coyotes, rats, mice, mosquitoes and gophers. I got so bored I would track down coyotes with a club. After that I worked in a lumber yard.
When I was discharged, I went to work for the Army Air Corps again. Boredom led me to take a job with an old man who had a steam saw and a track of lumber. I was paid hardly anything, but got enough logs to build a cabin. A friend and I built it, all but the roof. To live we cut grass, cut down or trimmed trees, and sold ice cream at a summer resort. Winter came, so I took a job with Piper Cub of Lock Haven.
Somewhere in the midst of all that I applied to go to college and wound up at the Harrisburg Academy, where two months later they told me I was good college material. Two years later I was a college graduate. Then I attended the University of Virginia and went sailing along great guns towards a Master's. Except for Chaucer and Milton. I have no gripe against Chaucer and Milton, but I have plenty against the way they are taught.
I began writing Far from the Customary Skies at graduate school. Two of the professors thought it was good. That made me figure I had enough education. In the way of acknowledgement, I owe a great deal to several of my professors.
I have been writing pretty steadily since leaving graduate school, while taking jobs. I spent some time in Mexico working with the Friends. I once set pins in a bowling alley. I worked for the post office- and so on.