Words command my respect and are a source of joy and satisfaction. I love working with them—as a writer, poet, editor, and literacy coach—and I value the way words can provoke thought. Words help us metabolize life.

My initial writing was informational in the field of dispute resolution. The goal was to convey information in a clear, literal, and organized way. Little, if anything, was to be implied. The same word was to be used to describe the same concept; no careless substitutions or vague terminology were allowed. As a mediator and arbitrator I also saw that words—careless or deliberate—can either escalate a conflict or lower the temperature and allow people to work out their differences.

Over time, I earned a Certificate in Publishing from Ryerson University and a Certificate in Creative Writing from the University of Toronto. I learned that words can do so much more than convey facts. They can be played with. They can engage people. They can evoke emotions. What fun!

As a writer and poet, I now concern myself with a reader’s internal experience as much as with what I am writing about. What can my words evoke? What might a reader feel and see? Where do the words take them? And when I am asked to edit another writer’s work, I try to respect their voice while at the same time offering constructive suggestions that correspond with their intentions.

I also serve as a volunteer literacy coach for United for Literacy, a Canada-wide charitable organization that helps people improve their literacy. Its student-centred, individualized learning philosophy allows me to draw on my experience in course design and applied learning. Helping another person access the world of words is at once an honour and a thrill.

Words are imperfect tools, but they’re critically important and worth the investment of time and effort. Thank you for reading mine.