Nottingham resident Martin Rothenberg has some stories to share, and thanks to the weekly writing workshop at The Nottingham and encouragement from his family, his stories might be coming to a bookstore near you.

“As a Syracuse University faculty member, I had to write a lot for work, but it was never creative writing; I wrote grant proposals and reports. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to try creative writing and realized I enjoyed it.”

Martin attended a writing workshop at The Nottingham to write a few stories about his life to share with his grandchildren. After reading his stories, Martin’s children encouraged him to write more. His stories are now compiled into a book called “A Boy from Brooklyn,” which spans his journey from a young boy with dreams of being a TV repairman to a Korean War veteran and world traveler, a university professor, and the CEO of two technology companies.

“It’s been quite a journey,” Martin says with a smile. “With a lot of good memories along the way.”

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York by working class parents, Martin never imagined going to college; he wanted to be a TV repairman, and probably would have been if he had not been drafted to fight in the Korean War. “After 14 months in Korea, my perspective changed. I became interested in language, and my worldview expanded.”

Thanks to the GI Bill, Martin attended the University of Michigan, earning a BS in electrical engineering, followed by a master’s degree in mathematics and a PhD in Communication Science. After retiring from a faculty position at Syracuse University, with his son and some graduate students, he established Syracuse Language Systems, which created software for teaching oral languages and sign language. After selling Syracuse language Systems, he built Glottal Enterprises, a company now run by his daughter, that makes instruments for studying the voice.

Martin relates, “One of my stories is about a little orphan boy I met in Korea who would exchange money with soldiers. He would come into our tent and exchange Korean money for American money, or vice versa, and while he may not have known it at the time, he was a little banker making money through arbitrage. He was exploiting the small differences in exchange rates to make a profit.”

Martin shared this story with a Korean friend, who helped him translate it and submit it as an essay entitled “I’m Looking for a Boy” to the Gyeongin Daily, a widely read Korean newspaper.  It was accepted and published in the December 27, 2024 issue.

“My time in Korea meant a lot to me, and I liked seeing my story printed in the paper. I decided to write a follow-up to that story, and I’m considering sending it to my friend to submit it to the paper on my behalf.”

Martin says he is thankful that the writing seminar piqued his interest in creative writing and looks forward to writing more fiction. “I have a few ideas for stories that I think would be interesting and I look forward to writing more.”