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Carl Sandburg

Before becoming a noted writer, Carl Sandburg achieved at times of great adversity including work as a barber shop porter. Even though his work was not polished, no other writer used the language of the American people like Carl Sandburg and for this reason alone, he deserves a place in American literary history.
He was born on January 6, 1878 in Galesburg, Illinois. He was born to Swedish immigrants named Augustus Sandburg and Clara Anderson Sandburg. Carl enjoyed school but later deviated from the prescribed curriculum. After the eighth grade he quit to help his father support the family. Sandburg believed his true education began when he learned about crime and politics and that justice belonged to the rich.1 When the Spanish-American war broke out he enlisted. Then, when his regiment was ready the war was nearly over so he saw no fighting. Later because Sandburg was a “War Veteran” he was admitted to Lombard College without a high school degree. While he was at college, Philip Green Wright encouraged his writing. Despite being active in academics and extra curricular activities, Sandburg left without a degree. That was probably because he failed to take some required courses. Professor Wright privately printed Sandburg’s first book on poetry.
Carl Sandburg held many odd jobs including work as a barber shop porter, milk delivery boy, fireman, truck operator and apprentice house painter. He sold films for Underwood and worked for Milwaukee sentinel and journal. Sandburg was a secretary to Milwaukee Mayor Emil Seiden in 1910-1912. Sandburg also worked for Day Book, Chicago in 1912-1917. Later in 1918 he ran for Chicago office, in 1919; Chicago daily news. In 1917-1930 he served as a reported and covered Chicago race riots. Sandburg also held many other jobs while still working on his writing career. He also wrote many books including Rootabaga Stories. He wrote these in 1922 and they are children’s stories. He wrote...