BOB ROSS' POETIC AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Publisher, book judge and book exporter Bob Ross, celebrates his 45th year in the NZ book trade this year.
He wrote the following "autobiography" when a group of his friends from student days at Wellington Teachers College decided to have a reunion and wanted a bio of less than 200 words.

Pic above shows Bob with another long-time book trade identity Paul Greenberg, taken at

Paul's "40th year in the tradebash" in Auckland last month.

Bob Ross

Finished Teachers College
Taught
Got a Sheila up the wop
Caught
Couldn’t afford to be a teacher
Short
Got a bad job as a clerk
Fraught
Got a job in a bookshop
Sort
Wanted to get into publishing
Sought
Found Reeds in Wellington
Thought
Got a much better job with CUP
Extort
Salesman on the road
Exhort
A few other things on the side
Sport
Played a little bit of tennis
On court
Opened the batting at cricket
Naught
Formed my own company
Drank port
Put my business up for sale
Bought
Employed by a multinational
Fought
Big blow up with management
Court
Started Tandem Press
More port
Did lots of overseas travel
Export
I live in Auckland
Snort
Got a bach on the Coromandel
Resort
Got a lovely wife, Helen
We cavort
I’ve had a good life
Not short
Had lots of fun and friends
Support
Any complaints?
Naught
Until the end
Mort