enewsletter

Volume 4, Issue 1
February 2009

In this issue:

Many happy returns
A pair of what?
Ides of March
Did you know?
Harris Communications: A new sponsor
Ask TSW!
Spotlight onMark Wood

Let us take care of your words.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Sure, we all know how to write letters. But did you know there are specific rules for how many returns, or paragraph breaks, for each part of a letter? Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but read on for how many returns after each section you should generally have.

Jane Doe
123 Main Street
Anywhere, AW 12345 (two returns)

Date (four returns)

Salutation: Dear Ms. Doe, (two returns)

Body of letter (two returns after each paragraph)

Closing: Sincerely, (four returns)

Your name (two returns if you plan on including CC: or Enc. mentions)

A PAIR OF WHAT?
What determines a pair? We say a pair of pants, but we cannot say a pair of shirts. There is a group of items that have two independent but connected parts, usually similar to each other. This applies to objects such as pants, scissors, eyeglasses, pliers, and so on. However, there are some exceptions, such as a pair of tweezers. The objects are always plural. You may want to practice by taking a fun quiz at this website: http://a4esl.org/q/h/vc001-lb.html.

Source: www.straightdope.com

IDES OF MARCH
You may have heard of the expression, Beware of the Ides of March. Ides simply means the fifteenth and comes from the earliest Roman calendar. In that Roman calendar, Ides marked the fifteenth of March, May, July and October (to make things more confusing, Ides is the thirteenth in the other months). By itself, Ides is not a bad thing: it only developed a negative connotation because the Roman emperor Julius Caesar was warned that he would die on March 15hence the expression, Beware the Ides of March.

Source: www.infoplease.com/spot/ides1.html

DID YOU KNOW? BOB HARRIS
The owner and the founder of Harris Communications is Dr. Robert Harris, who is deaf. He originally started a career as a psychologist, then changed careers and founded Harris Communications in 1982. The company has grown from selling assistive devices on a local level to a successful mail order and Internet business that operates on an international level. Its office is located in Eden Prairie, Minn.

HARRIS COMMUNICATIONS: A NEW SPONSOR
While talking about Harris Communications, were thrilled that Harris Communications is the newest sponsor of this e-newsletter. Youll see the company ads at the bottom of this newsletter. Be sure to support Harris Communications, a deaf-owned business, by visiting www.harriscomm.com today!

Ask TSW!
The Questions Youve Always Been Too Embarrassed to Ask

A reader asks:

I have a deaf co-worker who believes hearing people write better than deaf people, and that hearing people are the true experts of the English language. Is this true?

This is absolutely not true at all. Anyone can write English well, whether they are Deaf, hard of hearing or hearing. But there are some people who continue to believe that because hearing people have easy access to English, it must mean that they are automatically better at it. The truth is that native English speakers are capable of making mistakes with their spelling, grammar and so on. They may be able to write a sentence, but it does not mean they have the skills to edit or to put together a coherent paragraph on a professional level.

For that reason, TSW is the ideal company for your editing and/or writing needs. TSW employs a fully trained staff that can edit and/or write to your specifications. Additionally, our staff possesses deaf-related cultural and/or linguistic foundation, which then is applied in your editing and writing projects. In other words, if you were to take a look at one of the completed TSW projects, you would not be able to tell if it was done by a deaf or hearing staff member, because all of TSW's writers and editors are capable of producing high-quality writing and editing work.

Have a question about American Sign Language or English that you're too embarrassed to ask? Send your question to us at news@tswriting.com. We'll try to answer your question in an upcoming issue. All questions will be kept anonymous.

SPOTLIGHT ON...MARK G. WOOD
Each month, TSW profiles one of its clients. This month, we talk with Mark Wood of ASL Films.

ASL Films founder Mark G. Wood may not yet be a household name, but his films certainly are. The brainchild behind hugely successful films such as Forget Me Not, Wrong Game, and Legend of the Mountain Man, Wood is already underway on his fourth feature-length film.

Wood attended the California School for the Deaf (CSD) in Berkeley, and moved with the school to Fremont, graduating in 1989. It was at CSD that Wood began his hands-on experience in filmmaking, enrolling in a video course. Ive had a long-time passion, ever since my childhood, for filmmaking, he says. Wood is also renowned for his spirited style of telling stories in American Sign Language (ASL), drawing fascinated onlookers whenever he shares a story. I love to tell stories, and filmmaking is one way to satisfy this passion.

With the goal of re-defining deaf entertainment, Wood has created films that appeal to all types of people. His first three films were filled with suspense, plot twists, and casts of renowned actors and actresses, such as Bernard Bragg, Howie Seago, Vikee Waltrip, Andy Vasnick, Freda Norman, Bernard Bragg, and Mindy Moore. His next film is a family-friendly romantic comedy that will begin filming early this year.

ASL Films differs from other film companies specializing in deaf films in many ways, such as the quality of our film, time involved, the cast and crew, and our goals, Wood explains. Im very proud of the fact that we have an all-deaf cast and crew for every film, and that weve been able to bring together people in many communities around the nation for a night of entertainment, just like hearing people can go to local theaters to see films. ASL Films also strives to break through the Hollywood glass ceiling by having its films shown at various film festivals around the world; one of its upcoming film festivals is at Gallaudet University this fall.

Another distinguishing feature of ASL Films is that the company works collaboratively in each town where its films are shown by donating portions of the funds raised from the showings to the organizing agencies. Wood says, I believe strongly in empowerment, and in the spirit of community gathering. One way to accomplish this is to have local agencies work together in hosting a showing of ASL Films current film, and helping them raise funds that way.

Wood works closely with T.S. Writing Services on a variety of projects. When it comes to business, Im so busy that I would prefer to have someone with the professional expertise and skills to prepare our documents such as letters, proposals and business plans, he says. With T.S. Writing Services, I know Im working with people who have this experience, and also have the cultural understanding required for my company and the deaf community. Working with TSW has made a huge, major difference in my company, and Im really grateful for this.

Wood makes his home in Indiana with wife Tanya and son Jasper, 8, who attends the Indiana School for the Deaf. For more on his company or upcoming showings of Legend of a Mountain Man, visit www.aslfilms.com.

ABOUT TSW
T.S. Writing Services, LLC, is a Deaf-owned company that provides writing, editing, design, and translation services for American Sign Language and English users. For more information, visit www.tswriting.com.

If you have suggestions or questions about this e-newsletter, e-mail the editor at news@tswriting.com.