Now or Never

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Trautman was accepted into Columbia’s 1939 graduate program; he and Jane moved to New York that September. Trautman had to juggle schoolwork, a fellowship at the Queens College Library, running a small book business from his apartment, and trying to spend time with Jane. They attended the World’s Fair, Trautman became a regular on Book Row, New York City’s book district, and he continued his friendship with Jesse Stuart, even helping market Stuart’s newest book, Trees of Heaven. Trautman graduated from Columbia in 1940 and secured a job at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore. However, war clouds were gathering on the horizon, and Trautman believed he would likely have to leave this position to enter the Army. He wanted to continue to use his library skills and worried the Army would not be a place to do so.</jats:p>