'Edit? You said it!'

When I was 17, I came up with that T-shirt slogan for a contest at a student journalism institute. My cheesy entry didn't win -- that honor went to some wag who wrote "Don't give me any crop" -- but the sentiment pretty much sums up my vocation.

I've been an editor for almost as long as I could read. I remember hearing the Rolling Stones on the radio as a kid and saying, "That should be 'I can't get any satisfaction'!"

So I majored in journalism at Indiana University. I was a failure as a reporter, but I loved editing, especially copy editing. I found I had a knack for it, no doubt inherited from my journalist parents and honed from years of compulsive reading (and amateur rock lyric critiquing).

Even in high school, I couldn't stand comma splices.

My word nerdiness has served me pretty well. I've worked at the Miami Herald, The Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune, followed by Crain's Chicago Business (as a contractor) and The Rotarian magazine. And, of course, my own editing business. Plus, if you Google me you'll find some of my writing, so you know I've looked at copy from both sides now.

I wouldn't be much of an editor if I wrote too long. So watch this space for updates on word usage trends and whatever else may strike my fancy. Thanks for reading!