Words and phrases that corrupt meaning slip into common parlance the way bacteria infiltrate the body. They can impair how we think and reason. Similarly, polite phrases can be messages of expectation that can, instead, frustrate and
Minority Within a Minority
Back around 1971, the parents who ran the Guild for Fairfield County’s visually impaired students, in Connecticut, arranged for a group therapy session for six high school students, including me. Each of us was the only blind student in our
Words That Make Us Feel Hopeless
Certain phrases and words in common use today contribute to widespread feelings of futility. It’s a despair we can’t afford. Here are three examples. 1. Chaos When I think of chaos, I picture a herd of cattle in a stampede or refugees fleeing a
The Friend Who Confuses Himself with ChatGPT
Is it me, or does everyone have eccentric friends? Subscribers to this blog have met Neil, the most gentle of men who, among other adventures, nevertheless slashed a series of face-smacking branches extending out on to the sidewalk he regularly
No Numbers, No Stories: Disability and the Harm of Secrecy
1. Without Facts …? It is impossible to obtain objective information about the quality of a college’s services for disabled students. For other identifiable groups, we can get numbers, but not for disabled students. Members of those other groups are
Comma Wars
With all the questions swirling around us, one that doesn’t get enough attention is the role of the comma. Yet ask almost anyone about the placement of a comma, and you’ll get a passionate reaction. I told a well-read, non-author friend