Writing about your family history? These blogs offer stories, advice and inspiration:

Family History Circle

Hays & Greene Family History Blog

The Oracle of OMcHody

Genealoge

The World of my Ancestors

When we talk about writing style, we mean one of two things: a set of rules and conventions regarding words and punctuation (sometimes known as the "house style" of a given publication); or a distinctive, identifiable way of assembling words and punctuation (sometimes known as "tone" or "voice"). The first kind of style is all about standards: it's why newspaper writers spell out all numerals under ten and why New Yorker editors -- alone of all their tribe -- spell vendor as vender. The second kind of style is about deviations from the standard. It's what makes us recognize a passage of prose as indisputably Ernest Hemingway's or Joan Didion's or David Foster Wallace's or Maureen Dowd's.  Continue reading...

Anastasia M. Ashman, an American writer living in Istanbul and coeditor of Tales from the Expat Harem, an anthology by foreign women living in Turkey, recommends these books on women and travel, and more:

Unsuitable for Ladies: An Anthology of Women Travellers, selected by Jane Robinson. "In this spunky companion volume to Wayward Women (her book about women travel writers through history), Robinson collects the global travels of 200 women across 16 countries. The chapters indicate that the act of travel is and has always been a transformative force in women's lives. "

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Each week I come across countless examples of marketing and PR writing that are wonderful to read. The grammar is impeccable. The phrases are inventive. The words sing. But does that mean the resultant sales letter, web page, or press release will meet objectives? The answer, of course, is no.  Continue reading...

"If you read for pleasure, read a lot, you will soak up writing lessons without trying," says writing coach John Rains, who publishes a blog called Notes From A Writing Coach. "After a while," he continues, "you will find yourself noticing the lessons -- beginning to see how the writer achieves the effects that make the story work." Read John's entire post here (scroll to the March 16th entry).

A couple of weeks ago we ran the first part of our fascinating conversation with Professor Anne Curzan of the University of Michigan, an expert in the history of English and a member of the American Heritage Dictionary's usage panel. Here is part two of our interview -- a jaw-dropper for anyone interested in language -- where we focus on gender, spelling and much more:  Continue reading...

These websites celebrate the singularly American genre of cowboy poetry. So rustle up the livestock, pull up a seat by the fire, and read on... (assuming your particular cattle range is wired!)

Western Poetry by Clark Crouch

Cowboy Poetry Online

Jim Janke's Old West

Lonely Prairie Cowboy Page