By Dom Tursi
All Things English
By Margie Wakeman Wells
Margie Holds Court Publishing, 2016
Since I turned the first page of All Things English, I was riveted. Margie Wakeman Wells’ teaching experience and dedication to both language and court reporting have aggregated in a label which few deserve: genius.
I have read and reread Wakeman Wells’ explanation of “Why This Book Exists.” Her thoughts about the “lessening importance of English” in contemporary American education parallel what so many reporting professionals believe is missing from our potential population of future colleagues. Her reasoning is insightful, practical, and on point.
Wakeman Wells shows a keen sensitivity to overcoming societal deficiencies that have caused great anxiety in those seeking to perpetuate our timeless profession with reporters who have not only excellent stenographic skills but also the ability to produce first-rate transcripts.
All Things English brilliantly provides a solution as realistic as it is comprehensive. Understanding that people lead busy lives and won’t study English “just because it is a good idea,” Wakeman Wells has come up with a format that is practical, relatable – and effective. By teaching small nuggets, broken into even smaller subsections, and continuing the pattern for only minutes a day over the course of a defined period of time, Margie presents to serious reporting students a palatable opportunity to improve their knowledge of this most important aspect of good court reporting.
I am continually fascinated by her sprinkling of a single vocabulary word and sensibly-selected spelling on each page, and am equally amazed at her intuitive way of presenting word usage and tacit bits of grammar – all in a simplistic and comfortable format.
As I continue perusing “All Things English” – and, in the process, enrich my own knowledge – I find myself thanking the author in behalf of today’s and tomorrow’s reporting generations. Please count me among your greatest fans.
Dom Tursi is an official reporter based in Central Islip, N.Y.
