As I sit in my living room or office, I am in full command of this environment, the master of my lettered domain. Bookshelves hold books that are read and unread. Words set to music are recorded on CDs and cassette tapes. The spoken word comes from National Public Radio and, though not as refined, from television.
Files brim with reports and memos.
And there are the words buried in many forms within my computer. Together, there are thousands and thousands, if not millions and millions of words. I grew up with words the way some people grow up with pets. They were around all the time. My father was a man of his words.