THE PUBLIC READER

The Public Reader strikes again, finding errors in multiple posts. Ouch!

I would, however, like to thank The Public Reader for her diligence, and for making Troy's Work Table a more enjoyable experience for all parties—namely, you and me.

The Public Reader has been a longtime supporter of Troy's Work Table in its blog and pre-blog versions. The following story is a perfect example of what I mean.

I had long dreamed of having a dictionary stand for our home library, but knew that the cost was prohibitive. The Public Reader spoke with my father about building one for my birthday. He initially wasn't too keen on the idea. However, The Public Reader measured the space that would allow for a custom-designed dictionary stand, took photographs of the space and surrounding bookcases, and then laid on the charm. The father decided to create and construct the stand and at my birthday party I was pleasantly surprised—caught completely off guard is more like it—with this wonderful hand-crafted gift.

The stand allows for one of the two volumes of my Shorter Oxford English Dictionary to be on display at all times. Three shelves below allow for quick access to other reference books, such as The Sibley Guide to Birds, The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Roget's Thesaurus, and Jonathan Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema.

The Public Reader seems to be using this dictionary stand and its various tomes more than I. She has been looking up quite a few words and checking many facts. I had better do the same.