Julie wrote:
<<Congrats to Sean, of
course, for real. I would never have known how stressful
such a competition could be until I read the book.
David Bykowski, a Bee veteran, has also read it and
assured me that it's factually accurate (although Byko's
attitude towards the Bee is somewhat kinder and gentler
than Steinberg's.)>>
I know we've been
through the whole argument before, so I don't want to
start that up again. Simply put, it's a contest that
tests a ceratin ability. Some people are naturally good
at it, some people work hard to get good at it, and
some people, no matter what they do, will never be
good at it (fellow contestants from my days of
competing, myself, and my father fit those three cases well,
respectively). In essence, it really isn't that different from
quiz bowl.
And yes, having finished off
Steinberg's book just a month ago or so, I would also highly
recommend it. I think Steinberg takes an overly negative
attitude toward the spelling bee from the very beginning,
but I'll also be the first to admit that I am
somewhat biased. But the facts are all good--the bee
Steinberg covers is just one year after my last one in
1992.
Byko