In October 1964, he published his first professional review for the Intercollegiate Studies Institute[1] After leaving college, he went to work as an editor at Arms Control and Disarmament, for a short time, before attending graduate school at Penn State.
He was a book editor for two publication companies, Fortress Press and J.B. Lippincott, and as an art gallery director; he worked as a columnist at the weekly Philadelphia, which is no longer in business.
Four years later, he began working, full-time at the Inquirer, beginning as an editorial assistant and promoted to the copy desk.
[1] In 2002, the Inquirer, in negotiations with their parent company, Knight Ridder, initiated a second round of budget cuts, and moved the Sunday book coverage to the arts and entertainment section.
[6] Finally, Wilson made the decision to retire from the Inquirer, after having spent 28-years with the news organization, citing disagreements with leadership, and not wanting to "go along to get along" anymore.