A Writer’s Diary Entries From Early December, 1997 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Early December, 1997 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Mid-April, 1997 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Mid-April, 1997 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Late January, 1997 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Late January, 1997 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Mid-February, 1996 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Mid-February, 1996 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Early July, 1995 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Early July, 1995 | Richard Grayson

A Young Writer's Diary Entries From Mid-January, 1984 | Thought Catalog

A Young Writer's Diary Entries From Mid-January, 1984 | Thought Catalog

Orlando Sentinel features Richard Grayson's Platform in Campaign for U.S. Senate

The Orlando Sentinel today (Sunday, November 5, 2000) presents Richard Grayson's platform in his write-in campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Richard Grayson column in Orlando Sentinel on Soap Opera Careers

Richard Grayson has a column in the Orlando Sentinel today (December 6, 1997) on getting career advice from soap operas:

I was a kid when I first noticed that characters in daytime dramas could go from being construction workers to brain surgeons as rapidly as the plots dictated.

Bruce Sterling, a character on the old CBS soap Love of Life, metamorphosed in the space of a decade from high-school principal to paper-company executive to college dean to newspaper editor to the mayor of his city.

If Russ Mathews on Another World could leave town one day as a drugstore clerk and return a few months later as a fully qualified physician, I figured I could pull off career changes just as easily.

I got into my first career as a college English instructor somewhat by accident. I had been working in a library when I was asked to take over the night class of a professor who had died suddenly. I was terrified the first time I faced my students, yet the dread I felt before each class soon turned into sweet anticipation as I became more comfortable as a teacher.

But after a decade as a college English instructor, I began to burn out. At my Florida community college, each year I taught 12 courses and graded about 150 student essays every week.

I didn't want to be doing this for the rest of my working life, but teaching was the only real profession I knew. Could I switch occupations as easily as the folks on As the World Turns did?

Well, not quite. I learned that it was helpful to pick a new career that was somewhat related to the old one. When computers were introduced at our college, I took to them right away. Soon I knew six computer languages and numerous software programs and got a job training public-school teachers to use the new technology.

Training people how to use computers wasn't all that different from teaching students how to write essays, after all. But after several years as a computer trainer, I wanted to try something completely different.

When I watched Trevor on All My Children transform himself from a cop to a lawyer so painlessly, I figured I could do it, too - although I knew that it would take me three years of law school, not the three months in which Trevor went from arresting crooks to defending them in court.

At law school, I met other older students who were downsized by corporations or who left careers in the military or journalism, and we encouraged and supported each other in our transitions.

Since graduation, I've worked as a lawyer involved in education and computer-technology issues. I've been a lawyer for three years now, and, as much as I enjoy legal work, I'm again beginning to get restless - even if I'm no longer so young. Ever since Marty on One Life to Live exchanged her life as a pianist for a new one as a surgeon, I've found myself surfing Web sites of medical schools to learn about their admissions policies.

Richard Grayson Op-Ed Column in Orlando Sentinel: "McCollum's Dangerous Bankruptcy Bill"

Richard Grayson has an op-ed column in the Orlando Sentinel today (Sunday, October 26, 1997), "McCollum's Dangerous Bankruptcy Bill," opposing legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum (R-FL) that would change the nation's bankruptcy laws in a way that would hurt consumers and favor the credit-card industry.

Richard Grayson column in Orlando Sentinel discusses bribing Brooklyn road test examiners

Richard Grayson's column in the Orlando Sentinel today (Saturday, April 12, 1997) discusses bribing Brooklyn road test examiners.

Richard Grayson Op-Ed Column in Orlando Sentinel: "Welfare vs. Jackpot of Hypocrisy"

Richard Grayson has an op-ed column in the Orlando Sentinel today (Friday, January 24, 1997), opposing Florida State Rep. Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat's bill that would deduct past welfare payments from Florida lottery winnings.

Orlando Sentinel interviews Richard Grayson on voters and politicians' ethics

In the Orlando Sentinel today (Saturday, November 9, 1996) Richard Grayson is interviewed in a post-election article, "Ethics Issue Hurts Incumbents at Polls," about the vote in Osceola County, Florida.

An excerpt:

It's true that voters often fail to distinguish among officials, according to Richard Grayson, a staff attorney at the Center for Governmental Responsibility at the University of Florida.

"Whenever you see a scandal in a particular area, there tends to be an automatic revulsion for incumbents -- whether they had anything to do with the wrongdoing or not," Grayson said.

But if ethics were so important this election, why did Osceola go for Bill Clinton -- the first Democrat to win the county since Harry Truman?

That's different, Grayson said. The public has very little tolerance for breaches in public ethics -- illegal personal gain from public office, he said.

Voters are a little more forgiving on questions of personal ethics. Unless it's in clear conflict with a public position -- such as former state representative and Christian Coalition member Marvin Couch's dalliance with a prostitute -- voters don't like to cast the first stone on private matters.

Moreover, Clinton is famous. He is associated in voters' minds with a multitude of issues, not just his ethics, Grayson said.

[Kissimmee city commissioners] Dorsett and Owen, on the other hand, might pop up in the news only in the case of spectacular events -- or scandals. "Most of these people are not very well known, so it's really easy to become connected with a scandal," Grayson said.

On the other hand, that same public ignorance may be become a positive if they decide to run for office again.

"The lower down you go on the ballot, the less like you are to really know who the candidates are," Grayson said. "Unless you're extremely interested in governmental affairs, it's unlikely these names would stick in your head."

Richard Grayson column in Orlando Sentinel: "It's '101 Dalmatians' vs. Woody Allen's Neurotics"

Richard Grayson has a column in the Orlando Sentinel today (Saturday, February 17, 1996), ""It's '101 Dalmatians' vs. Woody Allen's Neurotics."

Richard Grayson Advice Column in Orlando Sentinel

Richard Grayson has an advice column in the Orlando Sentinel today (Saturday, July 8, 1995).

Richard Grayson column in Orlando Sentinel: "Nothing Like a Matinee on Sundays"

Richard Grayson has a column in the Orlando Sentinel today (Saturday, November 12, 1994): "Nothing Like a Matinee on Sundays."

The Orlando Sentinel Front-Page Article on Richard Grayson's Involvement in Florida's "Legislators in Love" Scandal

The Orlando Sentinel today (Saturday, January 14, 1984) has as its lead front-page article a story on Richard Grayson's involvement in Florida's "Legislators in Love" scandal.