Introduction

Writers are gods, demiurgically composing reality from the firmament of their imaginations. They like to knowingly use split infinitives for dramatic effect, recognize that a metaphor is like a simile, and understand the importance of the Harvard comma. Having a command of language gives them the ability to communicate complex ideas that couldn't be expressed any other way. They can send readers through space and time with fiction or instill cake baking skills with cookbooks. They can share the complexities of the natural world through scientific journals or call people to action with political non-fiction. Language is symbolic action giving us the power to create and control ideas. We are “symbol-using, symbol making, and symbol misusing animals,” and as such, we must learn to harness this power.

Academic Pages

"When in the Roman lands,

do the Romans!"

- Chinese student