The Merriam-Webster dictionary says:
“simpatico ~ adjective
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1: AGREEABLE, LIKABLE
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2: having shared qualities, interests, etc.: LIKE-MINDED, SYMPATHETIC
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Did you know?
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Simpatico, which derives from the Greek noun sympatheia, meaning “sympathy,” was borrowed into English from both Italian and Spanish. In those languages, the word has been chiefly used to describe people who are well-liked or easy to get along with; early uses of the word in English reflected this, as in Henry James’s 1881 novel The Portrait of a Lady, in which a character says of another’s dying cousin, “Ah, he was so simpatico. I’m awfully sorry for you.” In recent years, however, the word’s meaning has shifted. Now we see it used to describe the relationship between people who get along well or work well together.”
The idea above that truly catches me is the relationship. Let me explain.
I have been fascinated by language and communication for as long as I can recall. So much so, that as a young teen I penned numerous essays on the topic. For myself. Yes, I was that much of a nerd. At a time when I was struggling to find my niche in relation to the world around me, I realised what a dull and imprecise instrument language could be. I believe we all have a personal connotative language that is built from our experience. We learn our first language the same way we absorb our culture, and it flavours everything in our lives, most especially communication. It came to me that since we all reside in our individual meat tractors and ambulate about interacting with our environment, our experiences are truly unique. It was many years before I encountered Benjamin Lee Whorf and his theories, but I must say I felt rather proud of myself; I had managed to unravel some of the same ideas.
The ability to accept a commonality in order to facilitate communication is a high level of creativity and flexibility (thank you, evolution). For example, the colour green. Only one word, but when you look at the forest you see hundreds if not thousands of nuanced shades. This is how I see language: nuanced.
Author Robin Hobb, in Assassin’s Quest, said:
“All these sounds to make a word. All these words to frame a thought. Language came apart in my hands.”
In many ways, accepting the commonality of language is like staying on your side of the road while driving: a handshake and gentleman’s agreement, thus it shall be. But when does language truly come apart in your hands? When you learn another language.
When I was very young, I was bilingual; I spoke Farsi (that’s another story). I lost that language, although it is a deeply familiar set of sounds and rhythms. But I did go on to learn other languages, and from a number of language groups. This gave me the pieces in my hands, caused me to deconstruct communication, and taught me to be flexible. Another language isn’t just another set of sounds and words, it’s another relationship with the environment. A whole new set of nuances.
In my travels and my time living abroad, one of the most important things I have learned is to be flexible. My sound-word-concepts do not necessarily translate into different cultures, nor theirs into mine. I have learned to step outside my expectations to be open to unusual communication. As a teacher, and as a student, this has been especially interesting. Many second-language speakers choose unusual words. Not incorrect, but uncomfortable. Why is this so? Because we all have a different relational framework with our environment. And many will shoot down an unusual word or phrase simply because it is uncomfortable.
So, what does this have to do with editing? Quite simply, your writing is your language and all the relationships that go with it. I will learn it, get inside it, respect it. I want to meet and speak with each author I work with and hear your nuances. I want to find the rhythm and the relationships in your voice and language. I see myself as a facilitator to help you bring your message to light clearly and concisely.
And simpatico? The most important factor in the author/editor relationship is a good creative fit and the ability to communicate fluidly. Agreeable, like-minded, sympathetic.