Wordcrafts - Writing and Editing

When I began college at the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1958, I had to take an English proficiency test. I did well in English in high school and even better in math and science classes.

I was really shocked when I learned I flunked the English test. I had to take Subject A, a non-credit course for anyone who flunked the test. Subject A was also known as "idiot's English." I aced my physics and math courses that semester, but I flunked the English proficiency test a second time and had to take Subject A again. I passed it this time.

In my sophomore year, I took Freshman English and managed to earn "C's" both semesters. Meanwhile, I continued to earn A's and B's in my math and science classes. In my second semester, my English teacher was a young professor named Edward Loomis.

Edward Loomis was also a novelist. He already had written "Mothers" and "Men of Principle." He wore his hair very short, a closely cropped crew cut. He wore wire-rimmed glasses. He rode his Harley-Davidson to and from campus.

I earned "D's" and a couple of "F's" on my tests and bi-weekly essays in Professor Loomis' class. I tried very hard, but that was still the best I could do.

I remember when we read F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." Professor Loomis knew I was from the Chicago area.

"Spink," he said, "tell us about Lake Forest."

"That's where the rich people live," I said.

"Perfect!" he said -- and smiled at me, one of the few times he did so.

In the last week of classes, he asked me to stop by his office after class.

"Spink, I want you to know why I've been so hard on you," he began. "Of all my students, I think you have the potential to become a writer. But you really need to learn the basics of writing. You have a long way to go.

"I know the high school you attended. It is a good school, but you were more focused on math and science. I suggest you spend this summer studying only one book: William Strunk Jr.'s The Elements of Style. Learn it from cover to cover!"

I followed his advice. I studied Strunk every night. During the day, I unloaded box cars and trucks at a nearby oil refinery. I decided to work that year instead of returning to UCSB. I took night classes in government at DePaul University in Government. Senator John F. Kennedy was running for President.

In the spring, I applied to Northwestern for admission and for a scholarship. My grades at DePaul were all "A's." In May 1961, Northwestern notified me that I had been admitted, but my grades during my first quarter would determine if I received a scholarship for the next quarter. I did.

I majored in political science at Northwestern, but I audited a number of English courses. At the end of my first year at Northwestern, I was surprised when I received a letter from the English Department notifying me I had won the Edwin Shuman Literary Prize for three essays I had written and submitted.

You have no idea how much this thrilled me! I learned that I was the first student to receive the award who was not an English major. The monetary prize was a full-tuition scholarship for my senior year!

Not long after I graduated from college, I began my career as a professional editor and writer. I worked for trade magazines and eventually wrote and edited quarterly and annual reports. Each job helped me develop my writing and editing skills.

In the mid-1970s, I earned an M.B.A at the University of Chicago. My math courses in high school and college paved the way for me to do well at Chicago. I specialized in finance, which meant that eight of my 20 required courses were in finance. Later, I was happy to see five of my finance and economics professor each earn the Nobel Prize in Economics.

And, I was happy to write about it, because after obtaining my M.B.A., I worked at the business school working with the media and writing and editing press releases and the school's quarterly magazine. One thrill for me was when some of my former professors came to me for advice about writing!

While I worked at Chicago, I began hosting my own big band radio program and writing freelance articles about big bands and jazz for the former Chicago Daily News and Chicago Sun-Times. I have loved big band music since I was a boy in the late 1940's.

I retired in 2001. I spend part of each day working on my big band web site, Tuxedo Junction, which contains a number of my articles. I also have a couple of blogs, including George's Blog where I write about anything I wish.

In 1975, I visited Santa Barbara and stopped by to say "Hi" to Professor Loomis. To my surprise, he remembered me. I was sorry I couldn't say I had written a novel or even a short story.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I'm delighted you stuck with your writing. I remember what a bumpy start you had. The fact that you kept working at it is what counts."

Is there one article I've written of which I am especially proud? Yes. It's called Yesterday's Gardenias and it appeared in the November 1977 issue of Chicago Magazine. If you like big band music or good graphics design, take a look at it!

Yes, writing is indeed a journey, one that has given me tremendous satisfaction. I'll always be grateful for Subject A but especially for Professor Loomis.

George Spink
Los Angeles