Practicing the craft of English

The craft of English is something I practice everyday. I read everyday without fail; I don't think I can go a day without reading--it's like food. Picking up a new book from the library or bookstore is a process I get excited about. I look at the covers and scan the titles until I find something interesting. By the time I get the book home I cannot wait to start reading; if I am not driving I usually start the book in the car on the way home. Each time I open to that first page and begin to read I know that I am beginning a journey into a brand new world. There are some books I cannot put down and end up starting it and finishing it in the same day. (I have been known to even read at the dinner table. This annoys my whole family.) However there are others, like East of Eden, which take me weeks to finish. I am never without a book; open my purse and I have a book along with my journal--always. I wasn't always such a voracious reader; in the past year or two I haven't been able to stop reading. When I was on vacation in Tennessee with family this Summer I HAD to go to the bookstore because I finished the three books I brought with me. Reading is soothing for me; it is a way to escape. Reading a new book opens a new world. Reading is learning. Reading is a craft of English.

The art and craft of English includes many things such as reading, journaling, writing, acting on stage, research, editing, and etc. Theater, journaling, and of course reading are the most interesting crafts of English. I have been involved with many community theater productions, I am a constant reader, help friends and family edit their own writing, keep a regular journal, and tutor high school students. But I want to do more. While in the MAT program I am making the commitment to blog at least once every two weeks about what I am reading or working on within the craft of English. When reading I will focus on young adult novels as well as include the occasional literary classic. This way I will be able to share with others my own experiences within the craft of English.