Author and Grammarian’s Pet Peeve Is Bad Language

An author colleague of mine received a thank-you letter this week that included the following sentence: “We are extremely gratuitous and you are invited back if you are ever in town.”

This is the kind of gaffe that sends Michael Strumpf, instructor of English at Moorpark College, up the wall. Strumpf founded the National Grammar Hotline at the college almost 30 years ago, and fields up to 75 questions a day from around the country.

He gets calls from the White House, the FBI, college professors, police departments, lawyers--all seeking answers to their grammar dilemmas.

Strumpf, who has been pursuing his passion for language for 40 years, supervises the hotline (805) 378-1494 and the fax (805) 378-1499 without compensation. He will discuss the most frequently asked grammar questions and sign his new book, “Painless Perfect Grammar,” at 2 p.m. Saturday at Borders Books, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

Other events at this Borders include a Science Explorer Workshop for children at 2 p.m. Saturday, and a meeting of the Spirituality and World Religions reading group at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

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Poetry on Tuesdays will feature Robert Wynne, who reads at 8 p.m. at the Daily Grind, the corner of Main and Chestnut streets in Ventura. Open reading sign ups begin at 7:30 p.m. Featured poets read every first and third Tuesday and poetry workshops are offered every second and fourth Tuesday. Bring copies of work you’d like critiqued. Call 641-1679 for details.

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One of the joys of belonging to Friends of the Library is the opportunity to participate in book discussions. The Thousand Oaks Friends will be discussing “Dubliners” by James Joyce at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Goebel Senior Center, 1385 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks (next door to the main library).

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The Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network has a full schedule planned this month. The Thousand Oaks chapter will meet at 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Borchard Center, 190 N. Reino Road in Newbury Park. Fee for guests is $5. The Santa Barbara chapter will meet at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 11 at Karpeles Manuscript Library, 21 W. Anapamu St.

Ventura chapter members and guests will gather at 7 p.m. Jan. 19 at Ventura Towne House, 4900 Telegraph Road. Guest fee is $5. Members are welcome to attend any of the chapter meetings. Call 643-2403.

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If you would like to learn to write--whether greeting cards or plays, novels, articles or poetry--there are dozens of classes available beginning this month at Learning Tree University’s Chatsworth and Thousand Oaks campuses. Call 497-2292 for details.

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Congratulations to Oxnard author and travel writer Bob Carter, whose book “The Best of Central California: Main Roads & Side Trips” was honored with one of the four Special Awards given annually by the North American Travel Journalists Assn.

In Santa Barbara

Erin Graffy de Garcia sorts out the foibles and fashions of the town’s first families and latest residents in “A Society Lady’s Guide on How to Santa Barbara.” She will sign copies at 3 p.m. Sunday at Earthling Bookshop, 1137 State St.

Writers Unlimited will present Gene Tyburn, local poet and tree landscaper, who will read “In A Shakespearean Vein” at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Earthling.

Frances Halpern is co-host with Jon O’Brien of ‘Beyond Words’ at 10 a.m. Sundays on KCLU-FM (88.3), Ventura County’s National Public Radio station.