Hello dear readers. This is the author photo for my book, which is in the last two weeks of completion at the publishers. My writing book, This Won’t Hurt a Bit! is your guide to clear, concise content. There are enough books about comma splices and run on sentences. I find that students do not understand the comments teachers make; my book has before and after examples to clarify any concerns. My students often get A’s in as little as one semester. Stay...
read moreMany of my students make funny blunders ( as do I when acquiring other languages.) One of my students had to read a passage on bats. When I asked him to summarize the key points, he stated “Bats come out at night and they like incest.” Hmmm….I had to laugh. I then had to explain that bats may not be having sex with family members as it would cause inbreeding. I offered the word insects as an option, much to his relief. The same student mixed up puberty with poverty. In fact, I can see how he mixes up words because he takes a...
read moreIt’s spring, and our thoughts often turn to love. I’m fascinated by the way in which each culture expresses love. Personally, French is my favourite language. I think “je t’aime” is an elegant and simple way to say “I love you.” However, many cultures are horrified by the overuse of the word love in North America. We are just as likely to say “I love your shoes!” as “I love you.” Love is as worn out as old pair of runners here, and many Japanese students have been baffled by...
read moreCATALAN is a dialect spoken in the north of Spain. I found it hard to understand and I speak Spanish. I found a bar (of course- it’s Spain) with great tapas and amazing signs in Sitges, a favorite haunt of Dali. This sign says in Catalan: The camel is an animal which can tolerate thirst the most. Don’t be a camel! Many countries are recognizing the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity. In Canada, some native languages are experiencing a revival which is critical to native culture, nearly extinguished a hundred years ago...
read moreWhen I saw Pat Metheny at Jazz Alley, I obtained front row seats because I believe that he is out of his body when he is playing guitar. The question is, where does he go? He is at one with his craft, his passion and joy. Similarly, I read Joseph Boyden’s novel “The Orenda” and the novel is so atmospheric and haunted, it appears to have been chaneled by his ancestors. Quite possible. Language and music occupy the same sequential part of the brain, the left side. Learning spontaneously is a right brain activity. Passion and...
read moreToday I had the great pleasure of seeing La Donna Del Lago live from the Metropolitan Opera. Thanks to numerous sponsors, we can now see great works of art all over the world. I’m busy editing my writing book. Writing a book about writing my friends is no easy task. To date, I’ve edited each page over 30 times. Hmm…fifteen pages , edited thirty times… it’s exhausting, but you will be happy with the result. How do I stay sane? I engage my senses in other forms of artistic beauty. Thank you Metropolitan Opera! I...
read moreOpen your mind. Reading is the path to creativity, awareness and intelligence. Instead of allowing the one way street of media-advertising, TV and junk to dictate the contents of your mind, clean out the garage and open your mind to intelligent thought. Reading will automatically improve your writing by helping you to understand the correct connotation of...
read moreI am so proud of my student who was diagnosed as having learning issues. According to my assessment, he is merely brilliant and perhaps too outside the box for school. Nonetheless, after 2 semesters of tutoring, he has gone from sixty percent- to HONOUR ROLL! I’m so proud of you!!!
read moreWhen you are writing essays, avoid all of the WH phrases and clauses. Don’t be vague. Instead of writing, “Tom didn’t like where he lived”, explain where Tom lived, and why he didn’t like it. The corrected version would read, “Tom didn’t like living in Toronto, for it was a cold, miserable climate.” If a teacher can ask you a question about any sentence, you lose marks.
read moreI cannot help but gloat and crow on Mz Monro’s behalf. Alice Monro was one of my teachers at Banff School of Fine Arts, and I was struck by her humble attitude, astute, owlish powers of observation, and kindness. I have been reading her work since I was seventeen, and I believe she is the greatest living short story writer. Her piece “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” about a man caring for his wife who develops alzheimers, was made into a movie. The story is so poignant, I had to read it three times. I never have fully...
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