Upon winning the Pulitzer Prize for commentary, Kathleen Parker thanks her high school English teacher. Nice touch.
If I ever win the Pulitzer, Mr. Miller, you can be sure I’ll invite you to the ceremony.
posted by Aaron Bragg
April 15, 2010
Following up on a previous post, there’s another great resource out there for writers of all stripes—even if the very mention of the word “grammar” makes your eye twitch.
Paul Brians, Emeritus Professor of English at WSU, is the author of Common Errors in English Usage, a book I turn to more often than I care to admit. He also generously maintains a companion website (which actually preceded the book).
Brians’s advice is always sensible—and sometimes quite funny. Here’s one of my favorites, taken from his website:
Feminists eager to remove references to sexuality from discussions of females and males not involving mating or reproduction revived an older meaning of “gender,” which had come to refer in modern times chiefly to language, as a synonym for “sex” in phrases such as “Our goal is to achieve gender equality.” Americans, always nervous about sex, eagerly embraced this usage, which is now standard. In some scholarly fields, “sex” is now used to label biologically determined aspects of maleness and femaleness (reproduction, etc.) while “gender” refers to their socially determined aspects (behavior, attitudes, etc.); but in ordinary speech this distinction is not always maintained. It is disingenuous to pretend that people who use “gender” in the new senses are making an error, just as it is disingenuous to maintain that “Ms.” means “manuscript” (that’s “MS”). Nevertheless, I must admit I was startled to discover that the tag on my new trousers describes not only their size and color, but their “gender.”
You can purchase the good professor’s book at Auntie’s.
posted by Aaron Bragg
April 13, 2010
The best description we’ve ever come across about the bane that is spec work, from Jeffrey Zeldman:
“Spec = asking the world to have sex with you and promising a dinner date to one lucky winner.”
posted by CK Anderson
April 12, 2010
Proof that beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, but in the wallet of whoever’s in charge.
posted by Aaron Bragg
April 9, 2010
Color me dubious, but it appears that a simple font change could save your organization big bucks.
But then, if this study helps to put the final nail in the coffin of Comic Sans, I’m all for it.
posted by Aaron Bragg
April 8, 2010
As a celebrated writer of no small renown, I’m often asked by those who would imitate my astonishing career trajectory what writing references I keep within easy reach of my Mac (apart, I presume, from the vast resources that reside in my head).
For a quick roundup of writing basics, it’s hard to beat Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style. Sure, it has its detractors (or, what we in the business call “stupid whining pedants”), but commandments like “be clear” and “omit needless words” are sorely needed these days.
If you’re looking for Elements, try to find a used copy of the second (1972) or third (1979) editions, both of which can be had for around $3. It’s the best investment a writer can make.
posted by Aaron Bragg
April 7, 2010
Last night, my mom and I were discussing the relative merits of Louis L’Amour; somewhat fortuitously, today I came across a letter from Edgar Rice Burroughs to a 14-year-old kid whose teacher had some rather unkind things to say about Mr. Burroughs’s oeuvre. Here’s the money paragraph:
My stories will do you no harm. If they have helped to inculcate in you a love of books, they have done you much good. No fiction is worth reading except for entertainment. If it entertains and is clean, it is good literature, or its kind. If it forms the habit of reading, in people who might not read otherwise, it is the best literature.
Hard to disagree with that.
posted by Aaron Bragg
April 6, 2010
A recent trip to Seattle offered up yet another encouraging ray of hope: that good architectural design can truly inspire. While the Seattle Public Library (a must-see, by the way) does indeed fit into this category, I’m referring to the Chapel of St. Ignatius. Located on the campus of Seattle University, this 1997 effort by Steven Holl Architects out of NYC is worth the side trip.
And speaking of chapels, if you’re ever in Portland, take time to visit the Marilyn Moyer Meditation Chapel (sometimes referred to as the Grotto Meditation Chapel). Designed by TVA Architects and completed in 1992, it’s equally impressive.
posted by CK Anderson
April 5, 2010
Because it’s Friday—and because I can—I bring you: Ilha de Queimada Grande!
posted by Aaron Bragg
April 2, 2010
