Webster's
Dictionary & Thesaurus
and
Four Past Midnight
~ Stephen King

A word is dead / When it is said / Some say. / I say it just / Begins to live / That day.
~ Emily Dickinson, poet (1830-1886)

I couldn't resist the choice of a dictionary and thesaurus to reflect my lifelong penchant and fascination for words and their uses. A book - whether a
dictionary, a documentary or a novel - is full of opportunities to explore not only new ideas and concepts, but also to learn new and intriguing words. From the medical condition I have experienced (radiculopathy with
spondylosis), to the state fish of Hawaii (humuhumunukunukuapuaa), to a highfalutin way of describing nonsense (meretricious persiflage), words represent a means to enrich one's life.

One of my favorite authors is Stephen King, not only because of the supernatural and psychological thrillers which he writes, but also because he is from my home state and went to my alma mater (the University of Maine) at the same time as I. All of his works are in my collection, and many are autographed by the author.

Photos by:
Dwight Bennett
& Ned Davis
HSC Libraries