Luca DiMatteo
Author / Lecturer
WORDS OPEN OUR WORLD
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The Expert
August 2024
I get asked over and over why I don’t I write more about writing, you’re an expert at it, aren’t you? I have answered that question a number of different ways over the years. The other day I was watching all the commotion over the Raygun, the Australian B-girl (breakdancer). She has a PhD in Breakdance culture, making her an expert in her field. Everyone is questioning it. It made me pose the question: What does being an expert really mean? I’m an internationally published author with a blog. Am I an expert. I think I am, but for my personal style of writing. Maybe Rachel Gun (Raygun) is a B-girl expert for her personal style. Authoritarians might say this kind of thinking is a cop out and that it weakens the term expert. Opportunist might say that this thinking lends itself to healthy competition I’m not sure if either are correct. I’m not sure it would make a difference if we didn’t live in a world where having an expensive piece of paper telling everyone you’re expert wasn’t so important. Back to the topic at hand. I’m never quite sure how to answer the original question because I believe there are many different ways to write. When I was practicing medicine there were certain procedures for certain ailments but they were always being improved on because someone chose to challenge the expert way of doing it. So why shouldn’t that work here. I think it does. My final conclusion after all writing of words is that when I’m asked again am I asked the question: am I a writing expert? I will reply. Yes, for my style, as you for yours as long as you follow some general guidelines. You know, capitalizations, periods, question marks, no run-on sentences. Oh, don’t ask me about comas they are their own experts. 
Meet Ed Fox of Boulder, Colorado. He’s not a professional barista nor does he own a café. He is the next-door neighbor whose house always seems to have the wonderful smell of an inviting cup of coffee. Ed is a lover of the best espresso that can be experienced. He truly is an Espresso Artisan. This weekend I watched and discussed the process of finding the elusive “Perfect Espresso” with Mr. Fox. He is forever adjusting the grind of the bean, the flow rate, the ratio, and is always in search of a better bean. Which, by-the way, can make the entire process start all over again. I was intrigued by the complexity, the mathematics, and the fine brush strokes it takes to make a good espresso. For the Espresso Artisan, it’s a love affair with a very fickle lover. In Ed’s kitchen sits an espresso machine with several dials and readouts, a quality bean grinder, and an accoutrement of gadgets that the espresso industry deems essential. To anyone seeing this space, it merely appears to be the spot where Ed keeps his fancy machine. To Ed it’s a wonderful laboratory filled with possibilities and where magic is born. I must admit, he’s not wrong! After learning about the intricacies of the process, I’m ashamed to tell anyone that I have one of those espresso machines that you load a pod into, listen to it hum and get your espresso. For Ed, it truly is a labor of love. He meticulously creates each cup he hands to family and friends— always striving one step closer to that “Perfect Espresso” with each pour. But Mr. Fox’s mastery of taste began long before his espresso journey. Many years ago, he started making chocolate delights with the same tenacity. Much like his espressos, the exquisite chocolates must have been whispered to Ed by the Gods. My favorite was a dark chocolate chili-sea salt bar. To this day I still look for something that comes close—no luck. If you’re wondering, does Ed Fox put this kind of energy into everything he does? Well, the simple answer is— Yes. Do you have an Ed Fox in your life? Don’t let him, or her, go unnoticed. Thank you, Mr. Fox for your passion and for challenging us to do better. Please share your Ed Fox story. Monthly Newsletter
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Happy writing and reading! - Luca Connecticut Book Festivals
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