The American English Doctor is Margaret Joan Maddox, veteran classroom teacher, English specialist, and published author. [Writing under the names M. J. Maddox, Margaret Maddox, Peggy Maddox, and Maeve Maddox.]
She has earned four university degrees and taught language and literature at every level, from preschool to university, in public and private schools, in the United States and in England.
Her views about teaching and public education often differ from current policy and practice. However, she is a strong supporter of public education, regarding the public schools as a pillar of democracy. She believes that parents and teachers must work together to resist policies, teaching fads, and political pressures that are detrimental to teaching, learning, and national unity.
TEACHING CREDENTIALS AND EXPERIENCE
University Degrees
BA, English/Journalism, Oklahoma City University
BA, (Honours) English, University of London (England)
MA, Comparative Literature, University of Arkansas (Fayetteville)
PhD, Comparative Literature, University of Arkansas (Fayetteville)
Teaching Experience
John Marshall High School, Rochester, New York: English.
Hugh-Jones Tutorial School, London, England: English
Fountain Lake High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas, English, Journalism
Hot Springs High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas: English, French
National Park Community College, Hot Springs Arkansas: English, French
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas: English, World Literature
Malvern Technical College, Malvern, Arkansas: English
PUBLICATIONS
AS MAEVE MADDOX
DailyWritingTips
From 2008 until 2023, Dr. Maddox wrote as Maeve Maddox for the international language blog, DailyWritingTips.com/. Several hundred of her articles about writing and English usage can be found in the archives there.
So You Want to Write: 50 tips for getting started and staying on track.
This is a book for folks new to self-publishing.
100 Writing Mistakes to Avoid
A barebones style guide. It addresses the most common usage errors seen in web comments, blog posts, and advertising.
7 Steps to Good Spelling
This guide contains al the information needed to spell the everyday words used in most published writing.
The Pronoun Book
A large proportion of writing errors relate to the use of pronouns. This brief guide explains the rules.
Word Rage: How to stop worrying and learn to love your language
Some of the meanest comments in social media attack people for the language they choose to use. These unkind critics are often themselves mistaken in what they think is incorrect usage. The essays in this collection explore the history of English, as well as basic grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, and spelling.
A Joan for All Seasons: Joan of Arc in History and the Movies
In this guide to six well-known 20th century features about Joan of Arc, Maeve Maddox first presents the historical background from which film-makers drew their ideas, and then discusses the individual films in terms of the times and personalities of the men who created them.
The Fabergé Flute
Set in 1980s London at a music convention, this is a cozy mystery featuring an amateur American flutist searching for romance and finding murder.