About Jack Hyde
Who is this guy and what right does he have to take up this valuable space on the world wide web? Perhaps the interview below will help.
Q – Please, for the record, state your full name.
A – (Nervously wringing his hands, dabbing sweat from his brow) “Ah, J-J-John D-Douglas Hyde, sir.”
Q – Are you a native of Western Michigan?
A – “J-J-John D-Douglas Hyde, b-but you can c-call me Jack s-sir.”
Q- Jack relax, I am your friend. We covered that already. Where did you grow up?
A – “I am not sure I have grown up yet. I spent my childhood and a few adult years in Morris County, NJ.”
Q – Where did you receive your education?
A – “I am still learning and I learn things everywhere in fact just this morning I learned where I left my wallet last night.
Q – Where did you go to school?
A – “I have an eighth grade diploma from Chester Twp. Elementary class of 1958, Yo! (Holds it up to show). “I also went to West Morris Reg. HS, Trenton State College and Northern Illinois University and when they weren’t looking, I snuck out with a degree under my arm.
Q – What did you do for your career?
A – I taught special needs children in high school.
Q – What kinds of kids were they?
A – Wonderful kids but to be honest, there were a few who weren’t so wonderful, they were just OK but that was due to my limitations in not being able to bring out their best qualities.
Q – How did you end up in Holland, Michigan?
A – We were on Interstate 196 and took Exit 44 and it led us right into town. Good ol’ 44 has become one of my all-time favorite exits.
Q – OK Wisenheimer, how did you really end up here?
A – Our daughter went to Hope College and we grew to love the area and the people here. When we retired from teaching in suburban Chicago, we moved right away.
Q – When did you start writing?
A – I started writing when most people around me stopped listening.
Q- Before your series in the Holland Sentinel, did you do any newspaper work?
A – I was a sports stringer for the Hackettstown Gazette, Plainfield Courier and Trenton Times. I got ten-cents a column inch but I often couldn’t afford to buy the paper to measure the column and bill the paper so my work was free. That trend would resume decades later.
Q – How do you feel about reactions to your writing?
A – I have a wonderful time and three, oops two (one changed his mind) people have told me they like it.
Q – How do you view writing as a career path?
A – Don’t give up your day job. Now, would you like fries with that burger?
