*** Language & Literature ***

It's always good to acknowledge those you know have achieved wonderful things and influence how you write or what kind of things you want to create. ~ I'd like to pay tribute to Samuel Johnson, who lived in London, England, three centuries ago. After a labor of nine years, he finished his A Dictionary of the English Language in 1755. It had 42,773 entries. For more than 150 years, it was the preeminent dictionary of this language. As an evolutionary and foundational advancement, it was a staggering individual accomplishment. ~ And then in contemporary literature, I wish to express my admiration for a writer who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. If I were to pick one contemporary novelist I'd like to emulate, it would probably be Ann Patchett. Her Commonwealth, a poignant saga spanning 50 years, is breathtaking. Her Bel Canto, a spellbinding tragicomedy, is a masterpiece, which I'll never forget. - JPW