Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Currently Reading...In a Fisherman's Language by James Arruda Henry

I just got on interlibrary loan (yay!) "In a Fisherman's Language: An autobiography" by Captain James Arruda Henry. I read about this book in one of the popular culture magazines. In case you haven't heard about this book though, Captain James Arruda was in his mid-nineties when he learned to read and write. The old saying: "you're never to old to learn" rings true to this story. As told in the story I read about this book, James would maitain his secret about his illiteracy by pretending to read newspapers in restaurants or listening to what others ordered off the menu and ordering the same thing. No one knew, even some of his closest friends and family had no clue until he was much older. He was inspired by another 98 year-old man who had struggled with illiteracy, but successfully taught himself to read and write. He later began working with an English teacher to learn to read and write. He began with the simple task of learning his ABC's followed by learning how to sign his own name. This books is comprised of short stories about Arruda's life growing up and some of what his life is like today. The sentences and paragraphs are somewhat choppy, which may annoy those who are grammar fanatics. However, I think that knowing where he's coming from makes you appreciate his writing no matter what your educational background is.

1 comment:

  1. I'm so glad you are continuing your blog. Thanks for sharing this title -it sounds very inspiring.

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