The Walking Dictionary

Hi, y’all! I’m the new writer at T&S, and it’s been a fun whirlwind of a first month. I bet you’re wondering, “Can writers even say ‘y’all’? Aren’t they fussy guardians of the English language, carrying dictionaries with them just in case?”

I won’t bore you with the college linguistics lesson I sat in on when I was in 5th grade,* but long story short, I grew up in Texas and “y’all” may never leave me. Never fear, though — I know when to leave it at the door in professional writing. One of the things I’m enjoying most about this job is tailoring my writing to match the audience and interests of each client.

And no, I don’t carry a dictionary with me everywhere I go, but I have been called “The Walking Dictionary” in the past. I consider it a point of pride now.

You don’t know me, though! Let me see if I can change that.

I’ve loved words ever since I was little. Sometimes, when I couldn’t keep my nose out of a book at the dinner table, I’d get grounded from reading Harry Potter. College was full of reading other people’s words, writing about them, and having (usually) friendly debates about them. I took a break from school for a while, but I couldn’t keep away for too long, and am currently pursuing a certificate in editing. It’s for my career, but it’s also for fun. Yes, I’m sure you rolled your eyes just then, and that’s okay.

Outside of work, I like to get creative in the kitchen and in the garden. My husband and I both love to cook. I’m a better cook than I am a gardener, but I make up for it with enthusiasm! I can’t wait for spring when I can get back in the yard. Or for round two of my seedling experiment. Starting plants inside turned out very badly last year, but I am hopeful this year will go better.

Speed round:

• I have a dog and a cat and they are not friends.
• The narwhal is my favorite animal and I’d love to see one in real life.
• I’ll read anything from sci-fi to Jane Austen to sociology.
• My grandparents are the coolest grandparents you could ever meet.
• I love Mexican food so fiercely that it can be intimidating.
• There was a brief stint when I wanted to be a Marine Biologist, but sometimes fish give me the heebie-jeebies so it’s for the best that that didn’t work out.
• I was a music major once upon a time.
• My favorite TV shows right now are Criminal Minds and Brooklyn 99.
• I like yoga and I do it sometimes.
• I’m a recovering fry-moocher.

Here’s to a great first month, and I’m looking forward to many more!

* I didn’t attend college in 5th grade. I got to sit in on a day of classes, though, and the linguistics class was discussing appropriate times to use informal language like “y’all” and “youse guys.” Yes, I loved it.