"My dear Professor," reads a note I received about two weeks ago, "I've found your Japan Times editorial-page commentary most interesting. You say writing good English is more craft than art -- a craft that anyone can learn. But I don't think it's always the case." In the first place, continues the three-paragraph appraisal written in Japanese by a student, this is a country where many don't write English with ease. "We may write badly because we don't know how to write well. While in school, we usually aren't taught how to write English. I can hardly recall a single Japanese teacher of English who speaks and writes."

The young man reminded me that I had said "the best and easiest way of writing is to write the way you speak." He quite understood what I meant, but came up with a rather logical question: "How do you think one can write well when one cannot speak properly?"

In reply I admitted he made a point. My counterpoint, however, was that if he couldn't speak well it was still fine. He must remember he could read instead, that was helpful, too. A well-written story -- if he ever read it aloud -- should sound good to the ear and "flow smoothly," as I said, "past the tongue and the eye."