Morey, Walt

Walter Nelson Morey was born February 3, 1907 in Hoquiam, Washington. He began school in 1912 in Jasper, Oregon, and struggled throughout his career as a student. He did not find his desire for writing until after graduating from high school. He had read a Zane Grey novel entitled The Vanishing American, and disliked the book’s ending so much that he decided to write a new one; after doing so, he knew he wanted to become a writer. His previous indifference to school caused him problems at first, but he copied stories from magazines word for word to learn why they were punctuated as they were. Over the next ten years Morey wrote a two million word novel, rewriting it almost fourteen times. He never sent it to a publisher, but it taught him the art of writing.

While Morey was mastering his writing skills he took other jobs, such as working in a veneer plant, making brushes in a paintbrush factory and “working in the woods.” After injuring a shoulder he took up boxing on the advice of his chiropractor. He later fought professionally for three years, using pseudonyms so his family wouldn’t learn of it. His work as a fighter got him a job as a theater manager, where he was employed to control gangs of tough kids that frequented the theater. After the last show each night, Morey went home and wrote until early in the morning.

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