Working title

  • A is for About me

    A is for About me

    Lately I’ve been feeling the need for some sort of creative outlet not connected to my job. And today I saw on Facebook that my sister-in-law, who is pretty much always engaged in something creative, was doing this A to Z Blogging Challenge. (There’s a link over on the left.)

    Long story short – for the month of April, I’ll be writing one blog post a day, with the subject corresponding to the letters of the alphabet. Though I created this blog a couple of years ago, I never got motivated to do much with it, including the requisite “About me” post, so this seems like a good place to start.

    So here’s some random facts:

    • I’ve lived in New Jersey pretty much my whole life.
    • I have a degree in math, but make my living writing and editing and such.
    • I was married briefly a long time ago and have a daughter who will be starting college in the fall.
    • I used to be religious. I’m not anymore. (I suspect this might come up again.)
    • I’m a bleeding heart liberal. (Ditto)
    • I’m highly allergic to cats.
    • I have four tattoos (so far).
    • I have an irrational fear of sunflowers.

     

  • How it all started

    In the fall of 1983, I started college as an engineering student. Along with the core science courses – Physics, Calculus, and Chemistry – we all had to take an English class. I forget the actual title, but essentially it was composition and literature, AKA readin’ and writin’. This class was my gimme – the class that took no time so I could focus on the classes that did.

    To my surprise, half the class was failing. And in 1983, in the Bronx, for most of my classmates, English was their native tongue.

    We had to knock out a 1- to 2-page paper each week, which, frankly, I could do in my sleep. So in exchange for beer money, I wrote English papers for smart people who never learned to write.

    Today I’m a writer, editor, and all-around communications guy working in technology. So in exchange for real money, I write technical documents for smart people who never learned to write.