RE: Spelling and Grammar Skills

Hello Friends (ALL of you...)

Darrell and others wrote regarding spelling, etc with Darrell ending with:

>In your pursuit of Truth and Beauty, perhaps you could list to us all some
>good sites and/or books to help us learn The Way....:)

As someone who started out in the printing business as a proofreader, aside 
from learning *proper* grammar skills.....just read!  Read books, newspapers, 
magazines. Read so that your eye instinctively spots an error even though you 
might not know what's wrong - then head for the dictionary!  Defend the 
language!  Yes, there are errors in web sites - the authors might not know 
it.  Most don't mind having it pointed out since good businesspeople don't 
want their work "cheapened" by these kinds of errors.

I can't recommend specific titles or sources as such - my wife, who is a 
language arts editor, sometimes sits and red pencils the New York Times when 
the mistakes are blatant...while she mumbles "can't even trust The Times 
anymore."  :-)

Although William Safire writes a wonderful On Language column......

And write!  Write letters, articles, even memos!  Let your hand spin tales 
and enjoy passing on your experience!  Paint and draw with the simple letters 
of the alphabet!  Enjoy immersing yourself in the language and add 
descriptions, colors, flowers, buttons, and bows.  

Seems almost simplistic - just don't let technology rob you of the humanity 
of the written language.  Spell checkers excluded, of course :-)

Just some early morning thoughts.....

- Jeff K.

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