Monday, September 20, 2010

Word Love


So, how was your weekend? On Saturday, I attended a writing conference in Salt Lake City. It had a great question and answer panel and author John Gilstrap delivered a wonderful keynote address. My interview with Blair Hewes was another rewarding experience. She was very gracious and helpful. (I ended up giving her a package of plain M&M's!)

If you could schedule anyone to speak at your writing conference, who would you choose?

Okay, on to word love. Two experiences have contributed to my recent appreciation of words.

My seven-year-old has a difficult time reading. When I tell him he has to read for a happy, successful life, he says "I don't want to graduate, Mom. I want to live at home forever!" (I'm sure he doesn't mean it.) Thankfully, we're now reading Robin Hood, and he's beginning to catch on. How awful it would be to live in a world where no one read. What are your favorite books?

Language is beautiful. I listened to German hip-hop the other day. Sounded so cool. I liked it even before my daughter translated the words into English. I also enjoy Italian and
French. I think I am a frustrated linguist.

What languages do you speak? Which do you want to learn?

Buona Sera. Au Revoir . . .

27 comments:

  1. Oooh la la Roxy! La plume de ma tante. Er... arriverderci? Ola que tal?

    That's it!

    Anyway!! LOL!!! Yay!!! You've made inroads and significant progress with your querying - FANTASTIC news!! Well done you!!!! This is a nice way to end my day's blogging as it's just gone midnight, I'm all over the place and in need of some lovely news - and here you are popping up like a lovely yummy bit of toast with news of an agent submission! HOORAAAH!

    So glad to hear your boy is discovering the joy of reading!!!! Yay for both of you!

    take care
    x

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  2. I think for young kids finding the genre they like is so important. I am glad my daughter LOVES to read. :O)

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  3. Ciao! Or should I say Buena Sera.

    Don't worry about your kid. Both of my kids hit a hump and then got over it. My son's lasted until sometime when he was 7. At age 11, he read on an adult reading level. If you'd asked me when he was six, I never would've believed it.

    I'm glad your conference was so rewarding.

    My pick for a speaker: J.K. Rowling. Or maybe Judy Blume. Judy Blume lives near me. I'm impressed I haven't stalked her... yet.

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  4. Great question. I love the sound of language, but if I had the choice, I would take the time to just delve into my own... learn all kinds of new and old and lost and bizarre and little-known words in our very own English. :)

    I would love to interview Margaret Atwood. My sister pointed me in the direction of a live interactive webcast where you could q&a with her very recently, but I missed it! :( Her command of language amazes me.

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  5. I learned French once and Spanish, but I have such a hard time remembering how to speak them. But there's one thing for sure. They are sure beautiful languages. =)

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  6. I know just enough Russian, French, Spanish, and German to get myself into trouble... but not to get myself out of trouble! Wonderful question. I also love languages and wish I were more fluent.

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  7. I've been there with my son. He's forced to read now in Middle School and tells me that he'll never make it out, let alone graduate High School. Oh Dear!!!! Anyway, as to your first question about who I'd have come speak at a writing conference, well, hands down, Donald Maass. He's brilliant!

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  8. If I had all the time in the world I would learn several languages. And I enjoy sign language - took a class on it and have retained more than I thought after 10 years. It's a great reward to see your children read.

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  9. My language; tired gibberish most of the time. But I'd like to learn German. I have German/Irish roots, so you'd think it'd be easy. My tongue doesn't wrap around the switches.

    I love Ramstein. Such sultry lyrics.

    Sounds like you had a great time at the conference. I've only been able to attend one, and a workshop, but I hope soon to go to another. It was a great experience.

    Man, I'd just freak for Jodi Piccoult. I have lots of favorite authors, but having her speak for me would say I'd made it into the ranks of my preferred genre.

    Have a good evening Roxy.

    .........dhole

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  10. French traslations in opera was the hardest. I just made up sounds like Maurice Chevalier. When producing our bi-lingual french and english children's program. I have to trust the cast to not get us in trouble.

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  11. I was a terribly slow reader even though I loved books and writing, then I came across The Millstone (at age 17yrs)which I read in 4 hours! So I guess if you find something that grabs your 7 yr old (his choice) he'll be well away.
    I know some French and German and would love to speak them fluently, oh and I'd love to know Latin as this is the basis for many languages. :O)

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  12. Hi! I hopped over from Kittie Howard's blog to say hello and congratulate you on your award. :-)

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  13. Roxy, I've got a little something for you over at my place. Enjoy!

    (I speak pretty good Macedonian.)

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  14. I'm glad to hear that the conference went well!

    Jai

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  15. Je parle francais, un peu :)

    Sounds like you had fun at the concert! Awesome!

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  16. Heavens, I can't think of just ONE favorite book....there's a reason my shelves are overflowing!

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  17. I'm glad your conference went well. Hmmm...who would I want to speak at a conference? The list would be very long since I admire so many writers.

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  18. Roxy I'm so glad that your conference went well :) And my five year old says the same thing to me, he's just going to be my little house guest all his life :)

    I LOVE words, I'm in the middle of reading a book called "lips touch" by Laini Taylor that has such beautiful prose, it's just amazing.

    That hip hop song sounds so awesome :):):)

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  19. I love all languages. I learned English as a second language when I came to Canada in the 50's. French became a favorite and I taught it. My mother tongue is German. Father was a refugee from the Czech republic.

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  20. I learned French in high school, and Spanish in college. My daughter is taking Chinese. Everytime I hear a foreign language in a crowd, my ear strains to hear more. It is beautiful, just as you say. :)

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  21. Lots of questions for one blog. I'd like to hear from JK Rowling. A world where no one read would be dull. I know German, and I love to try to figure out what is being said or written in another language. I could have been a linguist.

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  22. I have the same issue that Vicki does, I can't think of just one favorite! As for languages I know Spanish, however can write it better than I can speak it, go figure. Although, I would love to learn Italian or Chinese:)

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  23. One of my nieces is starting Spanish & I'm brushing up on my own so we can email in Espanol.

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  24. Me? I live in France now, so I'm needing a big heaping spoon full of English. Make it a truck load. I'm not quite fluent, but I'm getting there – considering the step-kids don't speak much English. Which could be a blessing, really. Glad your agent pitch session went well. M&M's make friends??


    funny word catch: bionsur which sounds like bien sur. must be a sign.

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  25. I should have gone to SLC for that!
    I am a word nerd fo sho!
    I looove to learn the origin of words. So cool.

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  26. oh yesterday I just told my boyfriend, "I can't wait to have a kid and read him all the books on my shelf!" he kind of freaked out haha but really, every book I read makes me think of what my future kids will think of it. sigh!

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  27. Roxy: Wonderful site. I would love to follow along.

    The Disconnected Writer
    http://thedisconnectedwriter.blogspot.com/

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