My first memories involve reading, writing and making music, and my skills in those areas developed in an unusual way: From infancy, my mother read aloud and played piano frequently enough that I learned to correlate sounds with their printed symbols in the unfettered way of a small child even before the start of any formal education.

I attended public schools in Southern California, where administrators, sensitive to my early abilities, accelerated me from first grade to third grade. I don't think I was ever told what part of the curriculum I missed, but I now realize that the third grade marks a shift from identification of the most elementary parts of language toward comprehension and critical thinking.

Once past this basic level of reading and writing competence, though, I found that little more would be taught about English beyond the parts of speech and the continued augmentation of vocabulary and spelling skills. I didn't learn the fundamentals of grammar until I began studying Spanish several years later, and was then immediately drawn to the structural aspects of language.

I graduated from Whittier High School with honors and pursued my growing interest in Romance languages at the University of California, Los Angeles, where I received my B.A. in Spanish and Linguistics magna cum laude. While not captivated by literature to the degree I was by the physical features of language—and though exempted by UCLA's Department of English from any coursework requirement—I took the unique opportunity to study with a distinguished Dickens expert, Dr. Ada B. Nisbet, before her retirement. I feel especially privileged to have been taught by Professors of Linguistics Peter Ladefoged and Robert P. Stockwell, each a respected authority in that field.

My connection to language and music has been an enduring constant since childhood. I had the further advantage of attending one of the finest public universities in the U.S. I'm delighted to have this opportunity now to share my passion for the English language with people from around the world in a meaningful way.

I live in New York City with my cats and dogs. When I'm not serving my SharperMessage™ clients, I still enjoy reading and playing classical piano.

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