David Sacks

Welcome to my website: alphabet-history.com.

I'm a journalist and author who covers cultural topics. I've written many articles and two nonfiction books for general readers.

One book is a reference work about the ancient Greeks. The other book--Language Visible (Broadway Books, 2003)--is on the subject that preoccupies me: the history and workings of the alphabet.

Under several titles, this book is published in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. and has been very well received, in the U.K. especially. Regarding foreign-language sales so far, the book is out in French (from a Montreal publishing house) and in Serbo-Croatian (in Roman lettering), and editions in Mandarin and Korean are underway. Double- click on the "Language Visible" blue link at right to learn more about the book.

Aside from the alphabet, major interests of mine include: 1) world languages and writing systems and 2) our multifaceted inheritance from the ancient Greco-Roman world. I believe my calling as a writer is to explain cultural-historical subjects like these to a wide readership.

Mostly as a freelancer, I've written for about 25 mainstream magazines or newspapers, including the New York Times Magazine, New York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Elle, Allure, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, First for Women, School Library Journal, the Montreal Gazette, and the Ottawa Citizen (Ontario). My topics have included current books and movies, education, and family issues.

An American citizen, I live in Ottawa, Ontario, with my wife and our two daughters. Previously we lived in New Jersey and (earlier) Manhattan. We relocated north in summer 2000, in a lifestyle move. Currently I teach journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa.

I grew up in Summit, New Jersey. A sixth-grade English teacher inspired me with a foolish wish to be a writer, and I never outgrew it. Around age 14, I became intrigued by ancient Greece and Rome and their vital legacy in modern languages and Western outlook. I studied Greek and Latin at Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania (B.A. Latin Literature), and at Balliol College of Oxford University (M.A. Literae Humaniores). While I don’t teach the subject for a living, Greco-Roman studies remain a fascination for me.

Statement of purpose: In 25 years of writing for publication, I’ve learned to value clear, concise, "friendly" prose. The highest goal of a nonfiction writer is to open up a topic in a responsible way for general readers. This skill requires both prose style and mental organization. Writers should know everything about their chosen topic, but they shouldn’t regurgitate everything and they shouldn’t show off expertise at readers’ expense. Good writing tackles the main ideas for the reader, moving briskly and using summary and analysis. Bad writing tends to pile-on info without shaping it.

As a reader, I despise writing that leaves readers behind (for example, through overuse of technical jargon) or that is unclear in train of thought. In my own books and journalism, I strive for a pleasant, welcoming prose style that delivers clear thought and strictly relevant info.

--site updated May 2009