Introduction
 Who is Ed Weathers? What does he do?
I'm a teacher, writer and editor living in Blacksburg, Virginia. I teach English and journalism at Virginia Tech University. Over the years, I've conducted business-writing seminars for companies like Federal Express and the U.S. Postal Service, and I've been an editor at Memphis magazine, Tennis magazine and, most recently, Golf Digest. (Yes, I've got a special interest in sports. I've played way too much golf, tennis and baseball in my life. And yes, I have met Tiger Woods.)

I've published hundreds of articles on a variety of subjects--from the plight of public defenders to the perils of Cybill Shepherd. These articles have appeared in dozens of magazines around the country, and I've won a few national awards for my writing. I've even published a few poems in my day. For a more detailed resume, please see my "resume" page. (To contact me.)

In May 2002, I left Golf Digest and went out on my own to teach, to do freelance writing and editing, and to pursue some other projects I've long wanted to pursue. These days I'm lucky enough to teach at Virginia Tech, write an occasional political column and do a bit of editing. This website will show you a few of my writing samples. I'm no longer selling my services as an editor, but I will do editing on projects I believe in. Here are

TWO THINGS I'LL DO FOR FREE

Because I want to spend some time each day doing community service that uses my writing and teaching skills, I WILL PROVIDE TWO SERVICES FOR FREE:

1) I will conduct classes, moderate panels or teach seminars on the subject of political/business language, for no more than the cost of my travel.

I am particularly interested in the way people use language in the worlds of politics and business. I believe that if people understand the fundamentals of good writing, they will demand good writing (and speaking) from their political and business leaders, and this will make the world a better place--more honest, more open, more sensible, less prone to misunderstanding and violence. Here are some examples of what I'm talking about:

'The village was pacified, with minimal soft-target damage,' said the secretary of defense.

'The library has been liberated,' said the student demonstrator.

'Our company will undergo a fourth-quarter equity retreat which we intend to address in a proactive way,' said the CEO.

It's important that we rid the world of this kind of baloney. My seminars on this subject are free.


2) I will provide free writing and editing advice to registered nonprofit organizations whose work I admire, as my time permits. This includes advice about website text, brochures, mailers and so on.

Please click on my other web pages if, bless your heart, you wish to know more about me and what I do.