Toggling between two vastly different mindsets — being open-minded and being highly focused — is challenging and messy but it's the best way to become a creative, confident, productive writer.
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Toggling between two vastly different mindsets — being open-minded and being highly focused — is challenging and messy but it's the best way to become a creative, confident, productive writer.
Continue reading...
John McPhee's newest book is called Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process. Just as I love the interview with him in the Paris Review, "The Art of Nonfiction No. 3," I love this book.
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Article Topics:
Evasive Maneuvers
Euphemisms old and new
Urban Rain Forests and Other Benevolent Bunkum
October 4, 2017
Please enjoy the following euphemisms—all guaranteed to make George Carlin dance the Watusi in his grave.
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Language Lounge
A Monthly Column for Word Lovers
Weaponizing Words, the Lutheran Way
October 2, 2017
As we approach the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation it is worthwhile to try to enter the mind space of its spearhead, Martin Luther.
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Article Topics:
Automatically create lists of vocabulary from any text
using the Visual Thesaurus VocabGrabber.
January 18th is celebrated as Thesaurus Day to honor the birthday of the author of the first thesaurus, Peter Mark Roget. Get into the spirit by reading our two-part interview with Roget biographer Joshua Kendall here and here. Also check out an ode to the thesaurus penned by Franklin P. Adams here and Johnny Carson's hilarious "Funeral for a Thesaurus Editor" sketch here.
On the first Monday in September, the United States observes Labor Day, while Canadians celebrate Labour Day. If you want to know why labour is the accepted spelling in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries like Canada, while Americans prefer labor (and color, favor, honor, humor, and neighbor), check out this classic Word Routes column by Ben Zimmer.
Article Topics:
"Fatberg" is the Tip of the Word-berg
September 26, 2017
Why the Best Writers Have the Most Emotional Intelligence
July 19, 2017
- 5 Comments
Breadcrumbing Challenges in the Environmental Park
July 12, 2017
- 3 Comments
Why We Should Want to Fail As Writers
June 16, 2017
- 6 Comments
An Independent Supply of Slightly More Colorful Language
June 5, 2017
- 1 Comment
Add (or Subtract!) Your Voice
Click here to browse all the articles in our archive by date.
June 1, 2017
- 6 Comments
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Is Your Mind Messy Enough?
Daphne Gray-Grant said,
"Thanks for your kind words, Lex. Yes, I agree that mindmapping can be a magic-bullet for many writers."
- Today, 12:39 PM
Lex Ikon said,
"Hi Daphne I was reading your article with delight... thinking, "Oh, Mind Mapping would bridge the dilemma beautifully," and then you said it for me!..."
- Yesterday, 2:38 AM
Urban Rain Forests and Other Benevolent Bunkum
Saul G. said,
"JoAnn is correct, and so is Mark. By denying the ultimate reality of the human causes of climate change, which is a form of agnosticism, one precludes..."
- Saturday October 14th, 1:19 PM
Weaponizing Words, the Lutheran Way
Snowflake said,
"Just moments ago I was wrestling with whether or not to spend the money to renew my subscription To VT. This article alone makes me feel very happy..."
- Tuesday October 10th, 4:17 PM
Urban Rain Forests and Other Benevolent Bunkum
JoAnn Z. said,
"I deny that I'm a denier. The question isn't "Is the climate changing?" The questions of disagreement are, Is most of the change anthropogenic? If so,..."
- Thursday October 5th, 3:42 PM
Weaponizing Words, the Lutheran Way
MELODY H. said,
"Wow! I am not sure if I am more impressed by Orin's article or Lesley's commentary! I do find some irony in the fact that most stimulating reading I..."
- Tuesday October 3rd, 7:30 PM
Lesley G. said,
"I agree. I think acting on the assumption that we can freely express those matters of conscience and consistently defend the right to do so is the..."
- Tuesday October 3rd, 2:30 PM
Orin Hargraves said,
"Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Lesley. As I was writing the piece I was thinking about "we do have the reassurance of being able to express..."
- Tuesday October 3rd, 10:33 AM
Destiny, Biology, and Vocabulary
Deborah R. said,
""So if you are, genetically speaking, an Irish baby, and you happen to be raised in a Jewish family, what is your ethnicity?" As an anthropologist,..."
- Friday September 29th, 5:51 PM
Back to Backronyms
Nancy Friedman said,
"Orin -- I hadn't seen that one! I was thinking of his famous "DTMFA" (and "ITMFA")."
- Thursday September 28th, 9:54 AM
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Stage Directions: the Vocabulary of Theatrical Delivery
November 1, 2013
How can interpreting the language of stage directions enhance students' comprehension of drama?
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