Yesterday was Dictionary Day, which commemorates the birthday of Noah Webster, considered the Father of the American Dictionary.
I love words. I play word games (Scrabble is, of course, my favorite). And, my favorite radio program, Says You, is mostly about word play.
I recently read a fun novel, The Lottery by Patricia Wood. The main character is a mentally challenged man whose life changes after his grandmother dies and then he wins the Washington State lottery. Perry, the main character, reads the dictionary every day to improve his vocabulary. Throughout the book, he tells the reader what his words are for the day. He also defines words used by other characters in the story. The definitions are sometimes spot on, but sometimes unintentionally humorous misinterpretations.
So, a belated Happy Dictionary Day to everyone who loves the magic of words.
Friday, October 17, 2008
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3 comments:
I , too am sad I didn't know about dictionary day!
Thank you for the nice mention of my novel LOTTERY! It really made my day.
Much aloha to you
Patricia Wood
I loved that book and love to do the vocabulary section in Reader's Digest. Right now I'm reading "Second Glance" by Jodi Picoult and she has a character that is a word lover also. She has also written "My Sister's Keeper" which is a good read with an interesting moral delema.
I actually, physically, read "My Sisters Keeper". Rare, since I mostly listen to books these days. Interesting dilemma. "Second Glance" sounds interesting. Since it's available as an audio download, maybe I'll pick it up.
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