My
teachers had my best interests in mind in 1971 when they decided I
ought to be a math teacher. They said I had the best grasp of math of
anyone in our senior class.
The
problem was that I hated math. I didn't want to get up in front of
any kind of class, but certainly not a math class. Most importantly
to me, I loved to write, and I was a natural editor. I'd open a book
and immediately see mistakes. My motto could have been "I edit,
therefore I am."
My
teachers thought I wasn't a very good writer at the time, and they
may have been right. They said I used too many big words, and they
definitely were right there. (Quick story: A friend of mine told me I
was bombastic. I had to look it up in the dictionary. It apparently
means I use big words. Imagine that.)
I
won the school's math award that year, and our valedictorian won the
English award. She became a math teacher, and, well, I didn't. I
became a career newspaperman.
I'd
like to think I was born to be a writer and editor. I'm sorry, but I
edit stuff. I edit phone books and road signs and business signs and
cereal boxes. I edit e-mails and textbooks and even stories by
William Faulkner. Great stories, but he needed an editor.
I wish I'd been around to help Faulkner.
I wish I'd been around to help Faulkner.
EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com TWITTER: EDITORatWORK
ANECDOTES BY TOM GILLISPIE
EDITOR@WORK BLOG ENTRIES
ENTRIES FROM THE DOG BLOG
(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
(the book of great NASCAR stories)
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