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Sunday, August 26, 2012

8-25-12 Survival Jobs for Writer-Musicians -- Starter Job #189 (Working Temp in NYC: Typing for the Wrong Man, part 2)


So, I was sent to the corner of 57th and 8th, to the ultra plush offices of Raymond Joslin, President of Hearst Cable Network. I remember meeting him and feeling both scared and full of pity. He was about 5 foot 7, probably in his sixties, but his face had so many wrinkles. . . and they weren’t happy wrinkles by a long shot. His wizened-apple face had the angriest, nastiest look to it of anybody I’d ever seen up to then. I heard a distinct “Look out!” warning in my head.

This angry older man had the largest office of anybody I’d ever worked for, consisting of a large reception area with two separate desk spaces (and an impressive 8’ X 10’ filing room behind the desk where I sat), a waiting room to the side, and finally, Joslin’s “inner sanctum,” an office that resembled one for the president of a prosperous small country.

He had plaques all over celebrating his status as a “Cable TV Pioneer.” Wa hoo. He had weekly meetings with LifeTime, ESPN, and a variety of other cable channels, who all reported to HIM.

His impressive office reflected the life of a man who had it ALL: The wood paneling/plush carpeting/leather furniture/manly book and photographs-with-famous-Republicans in his inner office. The leather-bound in and out trays on his massive desk were all that we, the two assistants, were supposed to attend to. . .

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