One of the many fun things about writing a novel is the opportunity to choose every character’s name. In my high school literature class, the wonderful Mrs. Quammen often harped on about the fact that authors actually put thought and care into selecting names for their characters. But, honestly, I never really believed it. To …
One of the things that fascinated me when I lived in Spain was the prevalent use of aphorisms. I love these mostly because they introduce me to a new way of looking at a situation, a new way of thinking, and connect me to the people who coined these phrases, many of whom lived hundreds …
Although the purse didn’t cost $38,000, it was pricey for my budget as a graduate student. But it was my birthday, I’d been in Spain for all of 7 months and I really wanted it. As a matter of fact, I’d been walking by the shop window for weeks, changing my mind, then coming back …
Have you ever heard a person whose native language is Spanish and who is still working on their English get mixed up when pronouncing words? Maybe they say “sheep” when they mean “ship”, “beach” when referring to a female dog, or “sheet” when they mean…you get it. Well, the same goes when English speaking …
