▁Radio ▁Writ ers ▁Gu ild , ▁was ▁not ▁his ▁bi ological ▁father , ▁through ▁an ▁conversation ▁that ▁he ▁over he ard ▁when ▁his ▁mother ▁said ▁" You ▁can ' t ▁take ▁Rob by , ▁because ▁hes ▁not ▁even ▁yours ". ▁It ▁wasn ' t ▁until ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁young ▁adult ▁that ▁he ▁figured ▁out ▁that ▁long ▁time ▁family ▁friend ▁and ▁Col gate ▁University ▁English ▁professor ▁Russell ▁Spe irs ▁is ▁his ▁father . ▁ ▁His ▁mother ▁was ▁dr unk , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 1 , ▁his ▁mom ▁told ▁him ▁" D addy , ▁is ▁not ▁your ▁father ". ▁Robert ▁respond ed ▁with , ▁" Oh , ▁is ▁it ▁Russ ? ". ▁He ▁wrote ▁to ▁Russell ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁all ▁the ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁in ▁which ▁Russell ▁sent ▁him ▁letters ▁with ▁" fun ny ▁cart o ons " ▁in ▁them ▁until ▁he ▁eventually ▁stopped . ▁He ▁stayed ▁in ▁Connecticut ▁with ▁his ▁mother ▁until ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 2 , ▁and ▁Robert ▁moved ▁in ▁with ▁his ▁father ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁because ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁learn ▁how ▁to ▁read ▁since ▁he ▁had ▁severe ▁d ys lex ia . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 3 , ▁he ▁was ▁reading ▁Dick ▁and ▁Jane . ▁He ▁attended ▁the ▁High ▁School ▁of ▁Music ▁and ▁Art ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁but ▁was ▁exp elled ▁for ▁writing ▁a ▁sat ir ical ▁letter ▁about ▁the ▁atom ▁bomb ▁dr ill ▁to ▁the ▁school ' s ▁principal