Wordstruck is exactly what I was—and still am: crazy about the sound of words, the look of words, the taste of words, the feeling for words on the tongue and in the mind.

I am not really retired, and may never be completely, but I can't think of a better place to contemplate retirement than New York City.

Parents can plant magic in a child's mind through certain words spoken with some thrilling quality of voice, some uplift of the heart and spirit.

I never wanted to be a pundit.

Change is legitimate and inevitable, for our language is a mighty river, picking up silt and flotsam here and discarding it there, but growing ever wider and richer.

Words make another place, a place to escape to with your spirit alone.

I'm happy to have my own opinion and air it when I think it's necessary.