“All this she must possess,” added Darcy; “and to all she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.” – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

This quote is from my favorite book, and it expresses a concept that I’ve been examining through literary podcasts and reading an even wider variety of books than I had previously. I’ve begun keeping a list of words I encounter in my reading that I didn’t previously know, looking them up and writing down the definition as soon as I can. I also began keeping a commonplace book – a book of quotes from my reading.

Funnily enough, the idea for this blog came to me while listening to my pastor talk about doing word studies in Greek and Hebrew. It occurred to me that as ASL-English interpreters, it would be beneficial to do the same with our own language to gain a better understanding of the various meanings and nuances of English words we encounter in our work and use every day. My brain then connected that to reading. I’ve found in my own life and through observation that one of the best ways to broaden one’s vocabulary is by reading extensively and widely. Of course, it’s essential to prepare for specific assignments; however, intentionally studying words in our language and reading a wide variety of books, also helps us build a strong foundation of linguistic, literary, historical and general knowledge beneficial for our interpreting work.

In this blog, I’ll walk through the meanings of words, share quotes and passages from favorite books, suggest reading and podcasts, and generally share my love of books, language and words. Join me on a literary journey to improve the interpreter’s mind.