I got a recent email from my writer/publisher friend, GA, in California telling me about an award given to a mutual friend and former classmate of ours, Berkley Semple, for his first book of poetry, Lamplight Teller. Berkley's book just happened to be published through GA's company, WD Publishers, which makes the award doubly exciting. I just received a copy of it, and although some of the meaning was lost on me due to the strong references to his home country, Guyana, it's still a good read. Berkley is truly a gifted poet.
GA emailed me an actual copy of the award letter sent to Berkley confirming his receipt of the 2004 Guyana Prize for Literature. This very prestigious award is presented annually by the University of Guyana in various categories, and Berkley's book was declared the Best First Book of Poetry for 2004. He was flown down by the University to accept his award this past Monday, May 23, by His Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana.
Success is a beautiful thing. Congratulations again to Berkley, and to all the other writer/poets out there, keep on doing what your doing.
FYI: The WD Publisher's site is currently under reconstruction. When it's up and running again, I'll add a link to it in the sidebar. If you're interested in purchasing Lamplight Teller, it can be ordered directly from this address:
WD Publishers
P.O. Box 453
San Gabriel, CA 91778
or you can email them at gescomm@aol.com for more information.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
The Apostrophe Rules!
In the Jennifer Garrett article, Eats, Blogs & Leaves (see May 11 post), there's a link to The Apostrophe Protection Society. I checked it out, and it's hard to believe someone would be so committed to the proper use of a single punctuation mark. I hadn't noticed, but it seems that the misuse of the apostrophe is at chronically epidemic proportions, particularly in blogs.
John Richards, retired journalist and Society chairman, breaks down every possible use of the "much abused" apostrophe in the English language, which I must admit, makes a strangely fascinating read. For those interested in improving their grammar in this area, this site's for you.
Even more surprising than finding this site, was learning there are other sites just like it, and other apostrophiles like Mr. Richards, so if you're a fan of the apostrophe, know that you're not alone.
Check out a recent post on the subject by Trudie, one of New Word's recent commenters and apostrophe advocate: Apostrophiles.
John Richards, retired journalist and Society chairman, breaks down every possible use of the "much abused" apostrophe in the English language, which I must admit, makes a strangely fascinating read. For those interested in improving their grammar in this area, this site's for you.
Even more surprising than finding this site, was learning there are other sites just like it, and other apostrophiles like Mr. Richards, so if you're a fan of the apostrophe, know that you're not alone.
Check out a recent post on the subject by Trudie, one of New Word's recent commenters and apostrophe advocate: Apostrophiles.
Good Book:
The LITTLE GUIDE TO YOUR WELL-READ LIFE
I've always been a terrible reader. I don't mean in ability, but in resolve and consistency. My commitment to literary pursuits has been sketchy at best; always well intended, but leaving so much to be desired.
It's not to say that I don't read, I read quite a bit actually; it's just WHAT I read that I've been concerned about. I've always been rabid about magazines, especially trade or specialty mags. Anything new that I wanted to learn, I'd find a magazine. (I've got so many of them they're running me out the house.) And I'm reading online all the time, which, according to one of my recent commenters, is the future of reading. (Although that's a comfort, it's a small one at best.)
I really should give myself more credit because I do own a lot of books. I've joined myriad book clubs over the years and have amassed a nice little library for myself, but it's mostly nonfiction, especially how-to books and manuals (mostly genre-specific topics like computers, photography, cooking, etc).
I never really got into "literature" (classic or otherwise); novels weren't really my thing, primarily because it takes me forever to read one. I'd start, then put it down for few days, then pick it back up, then put it down again. Sometimes I'd never finish it. Whenever I'd check a book out of the library I could never return it on time, which got expensive, so I stopped. (I'm sure I still owe one branch or another of the New York Public Library.)
Despite having the attention span of a flea (I totally attribute that to being born in the GenX TV era), I always had the desire to just sit and read a book from cover to cover within a reasonable amount of time.
What I came to learn, through a great book called The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life by Steve Leveen, is that it's not just about knowing how to read, it's about knowing HOW to read. There's a way to appreciate literature that's nothing like your old high school English teacher or those LIT 101 classes in college would have you believe. You can tailor your reading to your own likes and lifestyle.
I discovered this book in the Levenger catalog, where Steve Leveen is CEO and co-founder. (See previous post, Every Home Should Have One.) It's a small book, but loaded with just the right information for a recovering litphobe like me. Mr. Leveen even let me know that it was OK to not be into all the classics if they didn't move me, and that the way I've been reading all these years was just fine. Ultimately, it's about creating MY well-read life, not just being a well-read person.
One of the reasons I started this blog was to help myself become a better reader. Now that I've discovered The Little Guide… I know I'm on my way.
It's not to say that I don't read, I read quite a bit actually; it's just WHAT I read that I've been concerned about. I've always been rabid about magazines, especially trade or specialty mags. Anything new that I wanted to learn, I'd find a magazine. (I've got so many of them they're running me out the house.) And I'm reading online all the time, which, according to one of my recent commenters, is the future of reading. (Although that's a comfort, it's a small one at best.)
I really should give myself more credit because I do own a lot of books. I've joined myriad book clubs over the years and have amassed a nice little library for myself, but it's mostly nonfiction, especially how-to books and manuals (mostly genre-specific topics like computers, photography, cooking, etc).
I never really got into "literature" (classic or otherwise); novels weren't really my thing, primarily because it takes me forever to read one. I'd start, then put it down for few days, then pick it back up, then put it down again. Sometimes I'd never finish it. Whenever I'd check a book out of the library I could never return it on time, which got expensive, so I stopped. (I'm sure I still owe one branch or another of the New York Public Library.)
Despite having the attention span of a flea (I totally attribute that to being born in the GenX TV era), I always had the desire to just sit and read a book from cover to cover within a reasonable amount of time.
What I came to learn, through a great book called The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life by Steve Leveen, is that it's not just about knowing how to read, it's about knowing HOW to read. There's a way to appreciate literature that's nothing like your old high school English teacher or those LIT 101 classes in college would have you believe. You can tailor your reading to your own likes and lifestyle.
I discovered this book in the Levenger catalog, where Steve Leveen is CEO and co-founder. (See previous post, Every Home Should Have One.) It's a small book, but loaded with just the right information for a recovering litphobe like me. Mr. Leveen even let me know that it was OK to not be into all the classics if they didn't move me, and that the way I've been reading all these years was just fine. Ultimately, it's about creating MY well-read life, not just being a well-read person.One of the reasons I started this blog was to help myself become a better reader. Now that I've discovered The Little Guide… I know I'm on my way.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Grammar's Still Important
In reading through Blogger Knowledge the other day, I came across an article entitled Eats, Blogs & Leaves by self-proclaimed "grammar bitch," Jennifer Garrett, that I believe every blogger (or anyone else writing online) should read. People have become increasingly lazy about grammar and punctuation in their online correspondences, and according to Ms. Garrett, it's time for a change. Beyond just being anal, it's just the right thing to do.
The article (and its title) is based on a book called Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by British writer Lynne Truss, which speaks to this very important topic.
A #1 bestseller in the U.K., this small book offers a fun and historical look at punctuation usage in both America and the U.K. As a bit of a grammar geek myself I look forward to reading and learning from this book. (If it means anything, Amazon reviewers gave it 4 stars.)
Granted, there are those who "murder the king's English" (as my mother would say) as a matter of style or expression, then there are others who are too illiterate to know better, or those for whom English is a second language, then there are those who really just don't give a damn (the most dangerous). I guess it takes all kinds.
Call me crazy, but I just find it easier, and more satisfying, to read something that's written—and punctuated—well.
The article (and its title) is based on a book called Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by British writer Lynne Truss, which speaks to this very important topic.
A #1 bestseller in the U.K., this small book offers a fun and historical look at punctuation usage in both America and the U.K. As a bit of a grammar geek myself I look forward to reading and learning from this book. (If it means anything, Amazon reviewers gave it 4 stars.)Granted, there are those who "murder the king's English" (as my mother would say) as a matter of style or expression, then there are others who are too illiterate to know better, or those for whom English is a second language, then there are those who really just don't give a damn (the most dangerous). I guess it takes all kinds.
Call me crazy, but I just find it easier, and more satisfying, to read something that's written—and punctuated—well.
Every Home Should Have One
I was telling my friend Linda about this blog and she pulled out a catalog I hadn't seen in a while but always loved. It's called Levenger. Just looking at it again got me all excited because everything in there is for the "serious" reader. From journals and pens, to organizers and furniture, it's got it all!
Check out their website. There are links to it above and in the sidebar.
Check out their website. There are links to it above and in the sidebar.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Oprah To The Rescue?
An article in the New York Daily News a couple weeks back told of a group of writers begging Oprah Winfrey to feature contemporary (aka "living") writers in her book club again, saying that sales of contemporary fiction have fallen steadily because 1) people aren't reading as much, 2) the ones that do aren't being made aware of what's out there, and 3) Oprah's Book Club started featuring classic fiction works instead of new ones.
About 150+ writers signed an open letter from an association called Word of Mouth thanking Oprah for her help in championing the literary cause through her televised book club, and seeking her help in continuing it where new works are concerned. Signers included new and award-winning writers such as Amy Tan, M.J. Rose, and Maureen Howard.
Can Oprah singlehandedly save the literary world? I don't know. But as they say, the numbers ($) don't lie. What do you think? Read the letter and post your comments on Word Of Mouth's site. A link to Oprah's Book Club is listed in the sidebar.
Find Your Voice
I recently checked out a blog by a woman named Lorianne, a writer and college professor who commented on New Word a while back (see From Book To Screen: The Color Purple). It's called Dr. D's Teaching Blog. She set it up as part of the Expository Writing course she teaches at Keene State College.
One of her posts speaks about finding your voice as a writer. Although the focus is on blog writing, it really speaks to any kind of writing as we are the source of our own words. It really touched me because that's the journey I've been on for a while now as a would-be writer, and most recently as a blogger, and I thought it could be of help to anyone who wants to start writing or improve their writing.
Although she wrote this for her students, it would be interesting to do the exercises just for fun, especially if you have some writer/blogger friends. It's always great to learn something new. If you don't want to include others, you might want to skip the last part, or just make notes to yourself.
Lorianne's been kind enough to allow me to reprint that entry here, so read, enjoy, and find your voice.
Also, check out Lorianne's personal blog, Hoarded Ordinaries.
One of her posts speaks about finding your voice as a writer. Although the focus is on blog writing, it really speaks to any kind of writing as we are the source of our own words. It really touched me because that's the journey I've been on for a while now as a would-be writer, and most recently as a blogger, and I thought it could be of help to anyone who wants to start writing or improve their writing.
Although she wrote this for her students, it would be interesting to do the exercises just for fun, especially if you have some writer/blogger friends. It's always great to learn something new. If you don't want to include others, you might want to skip the last part, or just make notes to yourself.
Lorianne's been kind enough to allow me to reprint that entry here, so read, enjoy, and find your voice.
Also, check out Lorianne's personal blog, Hoarded Ordinaries.
FINDING VOICE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S WRITING
by Lorianne DiSabato
"Voice" is the intangible personality or presence that gives power to a piece of writing. Voice is what makes your writing sound like "you" and no one else, and it is the quality or tone that either grabs a reader's attention or leaves a reader cold. Writing without voice sounds dry and detached; writing with voice sounds alive and engaging as if the words themselves have reached out and touched you.One way to find your own voice is by writing frequently: this is one of the potential benefits of blogging. By writing (and sharing your writing) frequently, you can, over time, discover the "true voice" that lurks behind your words.
Detecting your own voice, however, can be difficult. We're sometimes too close to our writing to judge it objectively, and we sometimes can't tell whether a particular piece will speak powerfully to readers. This is why getting feedback on our writing is so helpful. Often our readers can find our voice more accurately than we ourselves can.
To help you find your blogging voice, read someone else's ENTIRE blog from the most recent posts to the very first one. (To do this, you'll have to use the archive links in the blog's sidebar.) As you're reading, right-click and open in a new window the permalink to a handful of entries (between 1 and 3) that you think demonstrate the strongest voice. In other words, as you are reading, make note of
- the blog's best entry
- the blog's most powerful entry
- the blog's most genuine or "real" entry
When you've determined (and right-clicked) the handful of entries you think are the best, most powerful, or most "real," post a comment on the blog's MOST RECENT entry. In this comment, copy and paste the permalinks to the handful of entries you selected, and tell the writer why you think these entries are particularly noteworthy. Then, I want you to tell the writer how you would describe their voice: what sort of authorial tone or "personality" do they present to their readers? (For example, do they have a humorous voice, a trustworthy voice, a sarcastic voice, a witty voice, a confessional voice, a conversational voice, etc.)
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