The last weeks of any given year bring a few things that rarely change: the scramble to have something to do on New Year’s Eve that doesn’t suck, making resolutions, and frenetically reliving the past year with every kind of countdown possible.
It seems that everywhere you look, there’s a new “best of” list to [...]
Entries from December 27th, 2008
The Best of 2008
December 27th, 2008 No Comments
On Canucks
December 24th, 2008 No Comments
Those of you lamenting the fate of the publishing world these days might do well to cast your eyes outside U.S. borders. This article from the Globe and Mail newspaper in Toronto (where I am ensconced for Christmas) provides a glimmer of hope that people might actually, you know, still like reading books.
Canadian publishing, the [...]
Tags: Andrew · publishing industry · reading habits
Murphy’s Golden Rule
December 22nd, 2008 No Comments
My roommate and I stood out in the post-blizzard cold yesterday waiting for a bus that was roughly half an hour overdue, growing increasingly shivery and cranky as the minutes ticked past. Finally, a bus trundled up to our stop, only to continue on, a Not in Service message on its LED screen.
Also, its [...]
Alliteration + Alphabet + Rap Music = Neato
December 18th, 2008 No Comments
I love alliteration. I am certain every sentence sounds better with some sprinkling of the same starting consonant sound. Even better if you can end your book with a little alliteration: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” Anyway, enough of that nonsense. I thought I’d share one [...]
Tags: alliteration · language usage · music · patrick
On Deceit
December 17th, 2008 1 Comment
The BBC reported last week on a recent study that suggests
nearly half of all men and one-third of women have lied about what they have read to try to impress friends or potential partners.
Ironically, the most lied-about book was How to Make Friends and Influence People.
Nah, not really. Actually, the BBC reports that while men [...]
Tags: Andrew · reading habits
On Language Evolution
December 16th, 2008 2 Comments
The most recent post from our local vocabularily curmudgeoned blogger reminded me that language, sadly, does itself evolve. Evolutionarily, language has always been adapting–adding and dropping words and switching up phrases.
An article by Mark Peters in Good Magazine a few months ago (find article here) discussed frequently mangled phrases that are integrating themselves into our [...]
Tags: language usage · Llalan · new words · writing disasters
‘Tis the Season…For Internships!
December 16th, 2008 2 Comments
Though I may not act like it, this is my favorite time of year.*** With the Boston local weather forecasts predicting a wintry mix for rest of this week (and not the Harpoon 12 pack kind); Christmas and Hannukah just around the corner (and my bank account feeling the damage!); and the last [...]
Tags: Boston · internships · jobs · kim · publishing industry
Regrets and Resolutions
December 15th, 2008 No Comments
With little more than two weeks remaining until New Year’s Eve, many of us have already started to think about those nagging little reminders of just how much we suck at life–that’s right, it’s New Year’s resolutions time! With the close of each year, it’s been my own personal ritual to dig out my notebook [...]
Tags: Jill · new years resolutions · writing habits
The Resume as Creative Nonfiction
December 13th, 2008 No Comments
Our economy is in pretty sad shape. You don’t need me to tell you that. As Julie Bogart, recent Emerson MFA graduate says in this week’s Weekly Dig, “if you haven’t been laid off yourself, you know someone who has been.”Well, my temp job is as secure as it will ever be. [...]
Tags: Bridget · creative nonfiction · jobs
Last Day of Class = Leisure Reading!
December 11th, 2008 No Comments
Today is my last class of the term. I’ll turn in my paper, discuss the last stories of the last book, and begin reading whatever I damn well please. So finishing a term isn’t as momentous as say, finishing a thesis, but it still does free up some leisure time. This means I’ll wake up [...]
Tags: patrick · reading habits