... supported himself by performing a variety of odd jobs: handyman, porter, elevator operator, office boy, factory, worker, dishwasher, and a file clerk. He also took up a job in the defense industry in Belle Meade, New Jersey, and there he was confronted with racism, discrimination, and regulations of segregation for the first time. When Baldwin was eighteen years old he left Harlem. He never returned except for ... started writing as one of the many ways that he could be loved. With the help of Richard Wright, Baldwin began his first novel, In My Father's House. As he wrote his novels, h...

• Word Count: 2515
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School