Little Sallies of the Mind

About the Book

Little Sallies of the Mind is a collection of thirty-two literary short and short-short stories is two sections.  The first section of Little Sallies is for the General Reader, i.e., those persons who routinely read works in English.  Paired with this section is the second section of Little Sallies, written for those persons who have recently mastered the English language, are studying the English language, or who are learning to read again after suffering brain trauma or stroke.

The idea for this twinning of New and General Reader’s sections was inspired by the observation of a young man’s irritation while learning to read again after a motor cycle accident, and the embarrassment of a young immigrant woman who was learning to read English.  The young man in particular felt belittled by the reading material he was given, while the young immigrant woman felt ashamed she had to practice reading children’s books.

The stories in Little Sallies are very short, usually one or two pages.  It is hoped this will give the New Reader more confidence in being able to finish reading a complete literary story easily.  The story length is tailored to the needs of those recovering from brain trauma or stroke.  When the New Reader is ready to jump to the next level of reading, he has the same stories in a General Reader’s section.  This should greatly facilitate the New Reader’s capacity to make that jump.  By comparing the two stories, the New Reader can absorb the nuances of the English language in the most natural manner.  The New Reader’s section has conserved the literary style of the General Reader’s section.  This was intentional, with regard for the New Reader’s dignity.  It seemed preferable that a few phrases might not be grasped immediately rather than giving the New Reader one more children’s book.

In addition to giving the New Reader entertaining short stories to practice with, Little Sallies also strives to teach the differences between many of the “problem” words in English.  This was mainly for the benefit of those persons learning English as a second language.  For example, Bologna makes the distinction between sat and set clear.  In The First Wish, the reader is able to see the correct usage of the words sweet and sweat, as well as knew and new.  This mimics the way a child learns a language, by hearing it spoken in context.

It is hoped Little Sallies, by being accessible to New and General Readers, will help families going through trauma and recovery share the whole experience with the patient.  This work was written for you.

About the Author

Born and educated in rural West Virginia, springing from Blackfoot Native Americans, Germans, Anglo Saxons and Celts, SAL NORRIS is no stranger to religion, superstition, myth and legend. These, as well as philosophy and folklore, comprise her writing and inspire her art. Sal's published works range from Roman History to Herbal Treatments for the Disorders of Birds, based on her private research. Sal also freelances as an editor for professionals in the process of writing book chapters in their fields of expertise, and designs cover art for publishers. Sal builds web sites for individuals and businesses, and creates animated graphic art for web pages. Her books are in use by the Moscow Pedagogical School No. 2, Russian Federation to further the teaching of the English language in that country. Friends affectionately call Sal "Myth Norris" because she is that myth you have been told does not exist??the born writer.