Born in Hollywood, Barbara Whitesides grew up in California and in New England in a lively family of five children who honed their minds by debating with their father. The daughter and granddaughter of teachers, Whitesides often fights the urge to instruct. When she was four, her own mother wrote the grandparents about finding Barbara and her younger sister Mary in the living room: "B. was sitting quite firmly against M., so Mary would stay there while she 'read' to her." 
A former junior high school and college English teacher, Whitesides earned her Ph.D. in English literature from Rutgers University and worked as a book reviewer, magazine editor, and writer. Along the way, she married a chemistry professor, and together they raised two sons in Newton, Massachusetts. You stumble over piles of books in her house, for she would almost rather read than eat. Almost.
Whitesides credits her interest in Arabic to her grandfather James Henry Breasted, who helped translate the seals on King Tut's tomb when it was first discovered. Her grandfather was the reason "Egyptologist" was the first five-syllable word she ever learned. Later on, her father's experience of teaching himself calligraphy in middle-age helped inspire her own fondness for beautiful lettering, including Arabic.
After a 1990 trip to Egypt, Whitesides fell in love with Arabic and began to study it. She soon wished there were an easier way for beginners to learn the letters and language. "Sugar comes from Arabic: A beginner's guide to Arabic letters and words" is her happy solution. "If it works for me," Whitesides says, "it'll work for anybody."
The book took her 10 years to finish. At age 68, she's happy to be a late bloomer.
A former junior high school and college English teacher, Whitesides earned her Ph.D. in English literature from Rutgers University and worked as a book reviewer, magazine editor, and writer. Along the way, she married a chemistry professor, and together they raised two sons in Newton, Massachusetts. You stumble over piles of books in her house, for she would almost rather read than eat. Almost.
Whitesides credits her interest in Arabic to her grandfather James Henry Breasted, who helped translate the seals on King Tut's tomb when it was first discovered. Her grandfather was the reason "Egyptologist" was the first five-syllable word she ever learned. Later on, her father's experience of teaching himself calligraphy in middle-age helped inspire her own fondness for beautiful lettering, including Arabic.
After a 1990 trip to Egypt, Whitesides fell in love with Arabic and began to study it. She soon wished there were an easier way for beginners to learn the letters and language. "Sugar comes from Arabic: A beginner's guide to Arabic letters and words" is her happy solution. "If it works for me," Whitesides says, "it'll work for anybody."
The book took her 10 years to finish. At age 68, she's happy to be a late bloomer.