Archives for May 2012
I’ve Given Up, STOP!
“8. Use a dash to set off an abrupt break or interruption, and to announce a long appositive or summary.” A dash is a mark of separation, stronger than a comma, less formal than a colon, and more relaxed than… continue reading »
Oopps
“Murphy’s Law assures us that no amount of proofreading will uncover all the errors of a work about to be published. The questions are, how many re-readings are reasonable and when should compulsiveness be applied?” -Arthur Plotnik, The Elements of… continue reading »
Schwarzman Agonistes
Sitting in the New York Public Library does not make you smarter or more focused. (Declining the free WiFi does both, but you knew that already.) What it really offers is the opportunity to practice your bad habits with seven… continue reading »
It’s Time… For Time!
The day is long, the week is longer. Is there a name you can give to the time that you wasted? Like everything else worth doing, writing takes time. Assembling sentences in your head can take a lot of time.… continue reading »
Photo… Friday?
Long week. Bang.
Rated R
“Use commas to bracket nonrestrictive phrases, which are not essential to the sentence’s meaning. King and Lucille, his customized black Gibsons have electrified audiences all over the world. King and Lucille, his customized black Gibsons, have electrified audiences all over… continue reading »
Speech Writing
I saw some good speeches today that would not have been good pieces of writing, transcribed. Is this a new thing? Back in the day, good speeches were destined to end up as literature. This may have something to do… continue reading »
In Transit
Contact. As a transitive verb, the word is vague and self-important. Do not contact anybody; get in touch with him, or look him up, or phone him, or find him, or meet him. -The Elements of Style Or Facebook him!… continue reading »
Its Own Reward
“The financial rewards (of writing) just don’t make up for the expenditure of energy, the damage to health caused by stimulants and narcotics, the fear that one’s work isn’t good enough. I think if I had enough money, I’d… continue reading »
Photo Friday
“Language is a form of human reason, which has its internal logic of which man knows nothing.” -Levi-Strauss