Patricia Watts

February 23, 2022 Whose words are allowed and whose words are not allowed matter. Back in 1968, Black History Month was not a thing in schools and at that time I had never heard of “Black history.” That year, when I was 17, the assigned reading in my high school English class included Black Like Me, John Howard Griffin’s account of his experiences in the 1950s deep South as a white man who darkened his skin to appear to be Black, and… Read More »

One of my ongoing and constantly challenging self-improvement projects is to be aware of the impact of my words as well as the intent.Whenever we humans speak we enter a minefield, not just because of what we say, but, perhaps more importantly, how are words are interpreted. Words on their faces can be neutral, but we learn as we move through a lifetime of interactions with our fellow humans that some words almost always have a positive meaning while other… Read More »Jan 20, 2022

My granddaughter recently remarked that she thought my voice had changed over the 14 years of her lifetime, that I now sounded “elderly.” I reacted with offense. Elderly? Why, my voice hasn’t changed at all, I protested. Yes, my voice is throaty and froggy, and leans to squeaky, like it’s always been, quite adolescent-like, the opposite of elderly. Then my precious teen went on to say, “I don’t know why old people get offended when you call them old.” Which… Read More »Nov 10, 2021

When I was maybe seven or eight, around the time that my parents bought my family’s first TV, I often watched a morning children’s show called Captain Kangaroo. The Captain, a rotund grandfatherly guy with a bowl haircut, a cheesy mustache, and a coat with big pockets (like a kangaroo’s) was the ’50s-’60s version of Mr. Rogers. I don’t recall specific episodes, but I remember the Captain repeatedly referring to “the magic words,” which were “please” and “thank-you.” The lesson… Read More »Oct 13, 2021

What’s in a book’s name? Would William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” by any other name seem as sad and ironic? Probably not. Book titles give a clue or even give away the main event, and many times just flat out name the character who drives the story. The Great Gatsby. Jane Eyre. Moby Dick. But successful titles also grab a book browser by conveying in very few words the story’s tone and genre. Murder on the Orient Express, murder… Read More »Sep 26, 2021

It’s the most infuriatingly common misuse and overuse of a word I hear from my millennial (description, not judgment) kids, and on news broadcasts and talk shows, and in conversations I overhear on the sidewalk, in the park, at a restaurant, in the elevator, and in a dozen other public places. “Literally!” How did that word become an overblown necessity of the English language, whether used correctly or not, in so many comments, quips, and so many stories, speeches and… Read More »Sep 10, 2021

Updated: Sep 6, 2021 I’m an eclectic reader of fiction and nonfiction and sometimes the in-between. Here are some of my favorite writers: Colum McCann Toni Morrisson Walter Mosley Tana French Alice Hoffman Barbara Kingsolver Amy Tan Isabel Wilkerson Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Updated: Sep 7, 2021 The pen is mightier than the sword. The deliberate use and misuse of words shape thought, promote biases or dismiss or minimize or elevate other people or issues. And words, thrust forth like weapons, can also be more dangerous than a sword. Recently, I’ve read more than one news story about “disruptive” passengers on planes. A carefully­‑-or perhaps carelessly—chosen word, “disruptive,” and its mildly chastising cousin, “unruly.” These stories relate instances of airline passengers punching flight attendants… Read More »Aug 26, 2021