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This image of a keyboard was done by Alessandro Reginato in Pove del Grappa, Italia, and posted on Flickr. He calls it "writing in the darkness." http://tinyurl.com/44x57p9

The greatest words are those that we connect with; they are our favorites.

Picking out favorite words can be as careful and thoughtful a process for writers and other language aficionados as describing favorite songs can be for musicians and disc jockeys. Like favorite music, when it comes to selecting favorite words, it’s not only about what you like, it’s about why you like it.

For fun I made a list over the course of about a week with a dozen or so words on it. Legion, quibble and spatchcock were among the first to be added. I picked words that I felt were fun to say and spell and, oftentimes, uncommon.

It occurred to me others might have made similar lists, so I searched and found a site listing more than 900 of people’s favorite words, as of May 27, with short explanations. Jackpot!

Entries for ethereal, shenanigan, circumlocution, persnickety and extravaganza are a small sample of the vocabular bliss that can be enjoyed at My Favorite Word. Looking through the entries is a lot of fun and a fantastic waste of time.

There are many reasons why people like specific words. The sound of the word, the way a word is spelled, its definition, and a person’s experience with the word or what it represents are all takes on what is important to us about words.

Alexi Maxwell wrote on My Favorite Word that she loved the sound of amoeba [uh-mee-buh].

“Aside from sounding wonderful, I like the word because saying amoeba at random is a good way to throw my friends,” Maxwell wrote. “I’ll be talking about the latest bestsellers, and I’ll pause to gather my thoughts. And then, out of nowhere. I very carefully pronounce ‘Amoeba,’ just for the joy of saying the words.”

In another entry, Melanie wrote she fell in love with the word plethora while working at her college newspaper.

“Plethora seemed to be such an elegant, intellectual word,” Melanie wrote. “Instead of saying many, a lot, or several, there is the beautiful plethora.  How could you not love it?”

Other entries also lauded lesser-used words.

In her submission to My Favorite Word, Neren wrote she loved the word adore for several reasons. Adore looks good when it’s written, is sweet sounding and has a meaning greater than love.

“And [adore] is also much less overused than the word ‘love,’” Neren wrote. “Hearing someone say ‘I adore you’ is actually nicer, for me, than hearing someone say ‘I love you’… Keeping in mind that nothing can really replace those three words.”

I plan to continue collecting favorite words. Perhaps my favorite word is the one that I haven’t thought of in a while, and will occur to me next. Or it could be the next word I learn about for the first time.

At the same time, I concur with my colleague Tim Bearden’s response to the favorite word question I posted on Facebook. He is a writer too.

“Well mine is two words,” Bearden wrote. “It’s ‘steady employment.’ Those are a couple of the best words in the English language.”

Copyright 2011

Since playing Scrabble online and becoming familiar with the 100 or so two-letter words, I thought it would be fun to research some of their meanings. Here are a few of the more interesting finds.

Ai, pronounced ah-ee, is a two-letter word for a three-toed sloth, according to The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, Third Edition.

Karoly Lorentey of Budapest, Hungary, "lorentey" on Flickr, shared this picture, "Linne's two-toed sloth," which was taken March 26, 2011 in Terezvaro, Budapest, according to the site. Lorentey wrote in the caption, "The Harpy Eagle likes to hunt these guys by snatching them from tree branches and flying them to its nest."

Sloths are slow-moving mammals with long, hook-like claws by which they hang upside down from tree branches, according to The American Heritage Dictionary Of The English Language, Third Edition. They eat leaves, buds and fruits, and live in Central and South America.

Sloths have a few teeth, as members of the Edentata order of mammals. Jacalyn Giacalone, who has a doctorate in Biology, discusses them in her article about sloths.

Ai refers to the three-toed sloth, not to be confused with unau, the two-toed sloth. Also, not to be confused with another two-letter word worth celebrating – op.

Op is a style of abstract art, according to The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, Third Edition.

Op art, an abbreviation of Optical art, is a type of abstract art that exploits certain optical phenomena to cause a work to seem to vibrate, pulsate, or flicker, according to The Oxford Dictionary of Art.

This photo by Augusto Cesar Costa, "accosta" on Flickr, has a caption, "ceci ausi nes't pas une lampe," which as near as I can tell translates to, "This also is not a lamp." Well said.

Time magazine published a story in 1964 about the rise of Op art, “Op Art: Pictures That Attack The Eye.”

“Much op art is removed from the artist’s subjective discovery. It is the result of a mechanical muse, and the artist becomes a computer programmer churning out visual experiences,” the article reads.

Here’s what the story looked like in the magazine. And here’s a link to some of op artist Victor Vasarely’s work, for good measure, of course.

Ka is the spiritual self of a human being in Egyptian religion, according to The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, Third Edition.

Britannica Online notes the exact significance of the ka remains a matter of controversy. Written in hieroglyph with uplifted arms, the ka seemed to originally been designated the protecting, divine spirit of a person.

The ka symbolizes the reception of life powers by each person from the gods, April McDevitt wrote on her Web site, Ancient Egypt: the Mythology.

When the ka acted, all was well both spiritually and materially, McDevitt wrote. The ka could also be seen as a guide, or conscience, for each person, urging kindness, quietude, honor and compassion.

The ka could survive after the death of the body in a picture or statue of a person, according to Britannica Online.

Ka, conscience, is one of three principal aspects of the soul. Ba, soul, and akh, effectiveness, are the other two.

Other two-letter notables:

Aa is rough, cindery lava.

Oe is a Forean wind.

Al is an East Indian tree.

Od is a hypothetical force of natural power.

Ki, or qi, is a vital, life-sustaining energy force.

Xu is a Vietnamese monetary unit.

Copyright 2011

5. In the mid-1800′s American naturalist Robert Kennicott grew up at The Grove near Des Plaines.

4. Lawn parties were popular in the 1900′s.

3. The Potawatomi, known as “keepers of the fire,” moved to Illinois, including along the Des Plaines River, from Wisconsin and Michigan in the mid-1800′s.

2. When 60 percent of Illinois was covered by a native tallgrass, greater prairie chickens were typical.

1. The Des Plaines History Center sells a button that reads, “Blame it on the train.”

Seattle, Washington captivated me. From sea to lake, environmental consciousness to grunge, the Queen City offers jarring art amongst ecological splendor. Here’s a bridge To Seattle From Chicago I hope you enjoy.

Copyright 2010

Flat screen TVs above the bar and small flat screens stationed at each table allowed everyone at The Pony Inn on Belmont St. in Chicago to watch as the hometown favorite ended the city’s 49-year Stanley Cup drought.

The room felt as electric as the mesmerizing, glowing televisions, and energy built up as the capacity crowd continuously rubbed against each other and smacked high-fives.

When the concluding goal to the Blackhawks’ stellar season finally made its way into the Philadelphia Flyers’ net, there was a pause of commotion in the bar and on the ice because we weren’t sure it was a score yet. People breathed in, or stopped breathing for part of a second – and then erupted.

Below is a short video I took of the celebration that followed the final goal of the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup victory. I hope you enjoy it. Congratulations to the Blackhawks for a game well played and an honor well deserved.

Copyright 2010

Live music is better, and live blues is best. Levee Town, a Kansas City quartet, occasionally drops by Chicago. Their music has a poppy, upbeat sound that moves people to smile and dance. They played at The Smoke Daddy on Division Street Feb. 20. Below is a clip from Levee Town’s recent show. The harmonica player is my cousin, Jimmie Meade.

Copyright 2010

Has anyone not been bitten? This vampire trend seems to be sucking in everyone. From the Twilight saga to televised shows like True Blood and Vampire Diaries, it seems there is no escape from this infecting movement.

Heather Brewer, author of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod book series, continues to turn regular folk into minions with her stories, presence and outlook.

The 36-year-old writer appeared at the Magic Tree Bookstore in Oak Park on Feb. 18 to shed light on her life and creative work.

Though Brewer now lives in St Louis, Mo. with her family, she was raised in a small Michigan town with a population of 814. She was the unpopular kid growing up.

Looking like a vampire herself, Heather Brewer is the author of the popular book series, "The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod." Photo by Mimi Ragano.

“Even the adults didn’t like me,” she said. Being bullied made her who she is, one tough chick. Brewer stood before her audience, towering not much over five feet, dressed in Hot Topic black pants with silver chains and grommets.

Brewer’s popularity is growing, making the USA Today’s Best Seller List at number 69 and The New York Times Best Selling Series List at number 6.

At 12 years old, Brewer decided she wanted to be an author, but parents and other adults around her were discouraging. They told her to focus on getting a real job.

“I didn’t know what a real job was, but I knew I wanted nothing to do with it,” Brewer said.

The infamous question: above all else, what is the number one thing you would like to be? For Brewer, it meant being an author. And her husband said, “So be one.”

It was these three words that changed her life, and Brewer decided to follow her writing dreams.

This was when she started considering the possibility of getting published. Brewer sent out her work, and was rejected 248 times. The second time she was rejected 98 times before halting her submissions. This called for a reevaluation. She considered the popular phrase, “To write well, write what you know.” So she made a list of things she knew, which consisted of three things: what it is like to be unpopular, teenagers and vampires.

Each vampire smiley comes in a different color, representing a different book in the series. "Eighth Grade Bites" started with the red, "Ninth Grade Slays" is blue, "Tenth Grade Bleeds" is purple, "Eleventh Grade Burns" is orange and "Twelfth Grade Kills" is green. Photo by Mimi Ragano.

Her fascination with vampires stemmed from Count Chocula breakfast cereal, Sesame Street’s character The Count and, of course, the infamous Dracula himself.

“The moment I knew his name [was Vladimir Tod], I knew his whole story,” Brewer said. “And not just Eighth Grade Bites, but the whole series.”

Brewer felt that her writing “was right this time.” It only took her four months to write the entire first book. And she had seven offers by publishers for representation within the first week of sending submissions for publication.

The book sold and it all started when one person told her, “Yes.”

“Follow your dreams no matter what you do, and be sensible about it,” Brewer said.

Recently, Brewer returned to her middle school to give a talk. There, she was able to get vengeance on her former unpopularity because many of the kids she went to school with stuck around the town and had children of their own. It is those kids that are now reading and worshiping Brewer’s books, the sons and daughters of those who used to bully her.

Heather Brewer and fan Andre Marin (my brother) both sport Vlad gear. Fan wear is not yet available on Brewer's site, but the author holds online contests in which readers can win t-shirts and hoodies with the vampire smiley. Photo by Mimi Ragano.

Many of Brewer’s minions are curious as to how Brewer feels about the Twilight series. She said she liked the first book, but Brewer read the second and third books for the characters other than Bella because she “prefers strong female characters.” Brewer was dissatisfied with the last Twilight book, however.

“I despised it, and don’t recommend people read the Twilight series,” Brewer said. “It promotes dangerous ideas like, ‘girls, you need a man,’ or ‘it’s okay for your boyfriend to stalk you or physically abuse you.’ These messages are unacceptable, and I would say the same thing to Stephenie Meyer if she were here because if you have an opinion, you need to own it.”

Brewer is a strong advocate for reading and said she “love[s] books because there are so many different kinds.” For readers who can’t find a good book, she suggested going to bookstores and libraries to talk to the workers about what kinds of books they might enjoy.

Vladimir Tod begins the series in eighth grade and ends in his senior year of high school. After Eighth Grade Bites come the books Ninth Grade Slays, Tenth Grade Bleeds, Eleventh Grade Burns, and finally Twelfth Grade Kills. Twelfth Grade Kills is the only book that is not out yet, but its release date is Sept. 21, the same day the author turns 37.

Fans gathered to hear and meet Heather Brewer, author of all five Vladimir Tod vampire books. The last of the five, "Twelfth Grade Kills" is expected to hit the shelves Sept. 21, the author's birthday. Photo by Mimi Ragano

For additional information, please visit the Heather Brewer site.

Copyright 2010

"Sidewalks II: Reflections on Chicago" author and photographer Rick Kogan and Charles Osgood pause for a smile. Kogan will speak in Kankakee Library about the work. Later this month the library will host a discussion about another one of his books, "America's Mom: The Life, Lessons, and Legacy of Ann Landers." Photo by Chris Walker.

The Kankakee Public Library will have an unusual patron in-house this evening. And some might only be able to recognize him by his distinct voice, which floats on an octave so low it generates gentle rumbles on eardrums.

Chicago Tribune senior staff writer and WGN radio host Rick Kogan will be on-hand Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. to talk about his latest collaborative effort with former Chicago Tribune photographer Charles Osgood, “Sidewalks II: Reflections on Chicago.” This is the second collection of their well-known Sunday paper columns about intriguing people and places around the Windy City, and Kogan agreed to the engagement, in part, because he loves libraries.

Copies of the book, which will be officially released Nov. 13, will be available to purchase for the first time at the event. They will be offered at a discounted price, $30 instead of $40, and Kogan will be signing books after speaking about the work.

The Sidewalks column stories are primarily about the little things, everyday characters and peculiar locations that form the cultural textures of Chicago.

“The thing about Sidewalks is the stories are not stories that deserve front-page news,” Kogan said. “I just think that they’re stories that deserve to be told because they do address the sort of fabric of this area.”

The event is the third of six in the Kankakee Public Library’s current author and artist series. The library’s assistant director Allison Beasley said people will turn out for the event because they know Kogan and Osgood’s work, but they will be pleasantly surprised to learn how interesting and relevant the Sidewalks books are to any city in America.

“It’s certainly about Chicago and Chicago’s people, but I think it’s about human nature,” Beasley said. “It’s about the interesting kind of quirky side to people.”

Osgood, former Chicago Tribune photographer, will not attend. He said one of his favorite stories in “Sidewalks II” was “Honor Flight,” which was about an event where World War II veterans were flown from Midway Airport to Washington, DC for the day to tour monuments and other significant spots as a way to show gratitude for their service. A crowd gave them a warm reception upon their return.

“It was one of the more interesting situations I’ve been in because I had never heard of this thing before, but a lot of people have,” Osgood said. “So you have people of all ages from all walks of life that are standing cheering the Marines or the former servicemen as they get off the plane.”

“Sidewalks II” is the first offering by Sidewalks Book Company, which Kogan and Osgood formed this year. Kogan said if “Sidewalks II” is successful, their next release might be a collection of images from newspaper photographers, which he called “the most anonymous artists in contemporary America.”

The vibrant front cover of "Sidewalks II: Reflections of Chicago" by Rick Kogan and Charles Osgood is the first offering by the publishing company they began this year for the purpose, Sidewalks Book Company. Graphic courtesy of Sidewalks Book Company.

An exhibition including more than 60 large reproductions of Osgood’s Sidewalks photographs and Kogan’s stories opens Nov. 19 at the Chicago Tourism Center Gallery downtown.

The next featured author or artist at the Kankakee Public Library will be Chicago filmmaker Andrew Surprenant in January, known for his work producing the documentary “The Atom Smashers,” which aired on PBS in 2008.

Copyright 2009