Imagine coming home after a long day at work and being able to sit down and travel through a world full of cowboys and criminals. Reading is a way to escape the real world for a while. Authors write books to entertain their readers. Many great authors have come and gone and left many great literary works in their wake. One of these authors is Charles Portis. Charles Portis is one of America's greatest writers and has written a variety of books and short stories. Charles Portis was born in 1933 in El Dorado, Arkansas. He was known as Buddy to his friends (Chilton). His parents were Samuel and Alice Portis. The family also included Charles, two brothers and a sister. He spent many days outside with his friends and family. Charles went to the movies and watched a lot of Western films, which helped increase his interest in the West. Portis and his family moved to many different places in Arkansas, including Hamburg. After graduating from high school in Hamburg, Charles enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. He achieved the rank of sergeant and was discharged in 1955 at the age of 22. After Portis was discharged from the Marine Corps, he went to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville to earn his journalism degree. He graduated in 1958. Charles Portis' career began while writing for the university and the Northwest Arkansas Times. The writing he did later helped him write one of his famous novels, True Grit. After graduating from college, he worked for many local newspapers, such as the Arkansas Gazette, as a reporter. He then moved from Little Rock, Arkansas, to New York to work for the New York Herald Tribune. His career has been very successful...... middle of paper ...... well, he is an incredible writer who will always be known as one of the best authors in America. Works Cited Chilton, Martin. "Charles Portis, the man who wrote True Grit - Telegraph." Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph Online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph. Internet. April 28, 2011. Idol, John L., Jr. “Charles Portis.” In Contemporary Fiction Writers of the South, edited by Joseph M. Flora and Robert Bain. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1993. A glowing summary. April 28, 2011Magill, Frank N. Magill's Survey of American Literature, Volume 5. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1991. April 29, 2011Moore, Bryan L. "Charles McColl Portis (1933) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas." The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. December 30, 2010. Web. April 27, 2011. “Portis”. Emory University --- Department of English "Where Courageous Inquiry Leads" Web. April 27. 2011.