On Words

Now that my blog has been formally "outed" by my sister Rachel, I'd better write something memorable and interesting.

Growing up in our family, I was always the least verbally-inclined sister. I never thought I could write very well, until maybe about the ninth grade. It was then that we started writing essays in class, which was something I could actually do well. It was a form of writing that was reinforced by logical thinking. Creative writing I have always been lousy at, mostly because I don't have a knack for making things up. But essays were definitely my cup of tea.

It was in college that I realized that I am very good at writing. I took a history class with a professor who had been nominated for a Pulitzer prize, and he actually gave me A's on all my papers. And here in graduate school, my advisor, who is an excellent writer and the author of a remarkably eloquent textbook on scientific computing, has praised my writing too. That doesn't stop him from marking things up with a red pen, but I think he is delighted that he doesn't have to rewrite my papers for me.

I think that where I lag behind others is in speech. I am not very quick to come up with words I am seeking. In writing, quickness is not important, because you can always go back and edit. But in speech, it is vital.

This is why rehearsal is helpful to me. When I practiced my prelim talk, the phrase "contour plot" completely left my brain, which made it really hard to explain the slide of the contour plot. Somehow I managed to talk my way around it. After the rehearsal, my advisor asked me why I hadn't said "contour plot." From his question I was able to recapture that phrase and put it in a very safe place in the front of my mind. During the prelim, I remembered all the important phrases.

I often write down what I intend to say in a business phone call, such as a call to the utility company to question something on my bill. Similarly, when I teach, I like to write down everything I want to say, because I know my writing is much clearer than my speaking. I don't read straight from what I've written, but I do keep handy notes to remind me of key phrases.

I know I will never be a poet, because I lack the creative intuition about the sound of words. Luckily, "poet" is not high on my list of careers! But I am skilled enough as a writer that I will be able to convey to others the mathematical concepts that I develop.