cover image You Meet Such Interesting People

You Meet Such Interesting People

Bess Whitehead Scott. Texas A&M University Press, $18.95 (208pp) ISBN 978-0-89096-404-0

High moments in the life of nonagenarian Scott, the first woman to break into newspaper work in Texas, unfold lackadaisically in this relaxed, somewhat humdrum memoir. Born in rural Texas in 1890 and raised with eight siblings on a farm by her widowed mother, Scott enjoyed a childhood ``filled with love and security and simple pleasures'' but also marred by poverty and recurrent illness. She graduated from Baylor University in Houston, and in 1915 launched her career as a reporter at the Houston Post : ``I wanted to be the best .'' Though spending most of her professional life at that paper, Scott also worked sporadically in public relations and as a screenwriter in the fledgling movie business in Hollywood (``I marvel now at my failure to perceive the impact the growing film industry would have on the nation''). A failed marriage and single motherhood seemed to increase her determination to succeed. Presenting herself as a pioneer but not a crusader, the author will gain respect for her accomplishments, but her pedestrian writing style will deter many readers. Photos not seen by PW. (Oct.)