I’ve had a great many writing mentors in my nearly 30-year professional writing and broadcasting career, but Mr. Laurence J Sasso Jr was the absolute first when he hired me for my first writing job in journalism where he was, at the time, the editor of the weekly must-read “Observer” newspaper based out of Greenville, RI.

I was hesitant to apply for the job as journalism never seemed like a great fit for me. It’s a serious vocation that I viewed as too rigid, too fact-driven, and all too often focused on the negative aspects of our world. My dreams were to be a comedy writer: creatively free, silly, and fun.

But Larry taught me a very important lesson, not by his spoken word, but by his written word.

In addition to reporting on community news, town council meetings, local school initiatives, etc., Larry would pen wonderfully uplifting features about true community heroes and role models living among us. Their achievements, their positive contributions to society and to humanity. And no one I had ever read, before or since, painted a picture with words quite like Larry did.

And then there were Larry’s weekly columns, whose subject matter could take the reader anywhere, bringing laughs, nostalgia, deep reflection, and more.

That was when I realized I could be a journalist AND a creative writer. My editor, Mr. Larry Sasso Jr., taught me the ropes of true journalism and news gathering, and then he would sit down, put on his other writer’s hat, and tap out a column that not only held invaluable life lessons, but that also read like beautiful poetry.

Oh, and did I mention that Mr. Sasso is also an accomplished and acclaimed poet as well?

And did I mention that he is, and always has been, an absolute gentleman, class act, and one of the kindest, smartest, most giving people I’ve ever known?

When I later got offered a job as editor of a newspaper in New Jersey (coincidentally also called “The Observer”), I told the publisher I would accept it on one condition - that I would be allowed to write my own weekly column. About whatever struck me at the time.

They agreed.

Thank you, Larry, for not only teaching me how to write, but WHY to write.

Do yourself a favor and meet this great man and accomplished writer at the Barnes & Noble event below. Purchase his books and be sure to have him sign them.

They might not just “be worth something someday.”

They’re positively worth something now. All because of the man, the mind, and the heart behind the keyboard.

Thanks for everything, Larry!