friend ▁while ▁on ▁par ole . ▁Their ▁first ▁child , ▁a ▁son , ▁was ▁placed ▁up ▁for ▁ad option . ▁Their ▁second ▁child , ▁a ▁daughter , ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁several ▁fost er ▁homes ▁before ▁being ▁adopted ▁by ▁Mark ' s ▁sister . ▁The ▁couple ▁later ▁divor ced . ▁Mark ▁had ▁a ▁third ▁child , ▁a ▁son , ▁in ▁a ▁short ▁relationship ▁in ▁later ▁life . ▁In ▁a ▁tur bul ent ▁life , ▁he ▁accum ulated ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁legal ▁charges , ▁some ▁likely ▁valid , ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁professional ▁criminal ; ▁rather ▁he ▁lived ▁prec ari ously ▁and ▁most ▁often ▁as ▁a ▁sal oon ▁an ec dot al ist ▁and ▁singer . ▁ ▁Road ▁scholar ▁Long ▁before ▁the ▁movie , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁play ▁on ▁the ▁words ▁" R h odes ▁Sch olar ," ▁this ▁self - des cribed ▁" Ro ad ▁Sch olar " ▁decided ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁writer . ▁While ▁living ▁on ▁the ▁streets , ▁Mark ' s ▁world ly ▁poss essions ▁consisted ▁of ▁a ▁bag ▁filled ▁with ▁clothes , ▁a ▁dictionary , ▁a ▁th es aur us , ▁p enc ils ▁and ▁a ▁pad ▁of ▁paper . ▁His ▁first ▁publishing ▁success ▁was ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁the ▁editor ▁of ▁The ▁Real ▁P aper . ▁Mark ▁Z anger , ▁a ▁column ist ▁at ▁the ▁now - def unct , ▁Cambridge , ▁Massachusetts ▁alternative ▁week ly , ▁turned ▁the ▁letter ▁into ▁an ▁article . ▁It ▁was ▁about ▁stay ing ▁at ▁Boston ' s ▁Charles ▁Street ▁J ail ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁condem