Tag Archives: writing

Pictures Built from Words

6 Aug

I subscribed to The New Yorker last year on a whim. Truth be told, it seemed like an intellectual magazine, perhaps a bit snobbish, and it was only $37 for the yearlong subscription. Thirty-seven dollars is a low price for the right to be intellectual, and a bit snobby, for an entire year.

What I didn’t realize at the time is just how devoted the magazine is to its writing. I suppose that technically all publications are in some way devoted to good writing—even this humble blog attempts to produce at least a semblance of something readable—but The New Yorker takes it to an art.

(more…)

Blogging and Meta-Blogging

21 Mar

The concept of “meta” is one of the most fascinating—and at times annoying—concepts that we are introduced to as we get older.  The idea that we can think about thought, discuss discussion, and blog about blogging is both eminently useful and unfortunately overused.  While it is one of the hallmarks of rational thought that we can contemplate what is going on in our own minds, it is also a crutch which is too easily used to abstract—and extract—ourselves from our problems.

That said, I will allow myself to indulge in a post about posting, for the purposes of, well, self-indulgence.  And also because there are a few good ideas to be had from the endeavor. (more…)

The New York Times on Style

6 Nov

The New York Times recently published an article about style in The Times. It consisted of questions from readers and responses by editor Philip B. Corbett.  It’s well worth reading for anyone interested in grammar, style, or how to write better. One particular section summed up The Times’ style well: 

Perhaps I’m tradition-bound, but this is one quirk of Times style that I would go to some lengths to defend. We strive for a tone that is literate, civil and serious: not fussy or old-fashioned, but also not chatty or self-consciously hip. It’s not an easy balance, and we don’t always get it right. But I think the simple use of courtesy titles — whether it’s “Mr. Bush,” “Mrs. Clinton” or “Ms. Rivera, a teacher from Queens” — injects a note of thoughtfulness and civility into our pages. Amid the daily cacophony, that seems a worthy effort. 

Incidentally, a reader’s question in that section also used the word “bailiwick”. I figure it has to be a good question if it correctly uses “bailiwick”. So, go enjoy a talk with the newsroom. 

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