Today Is National Grammar Day — Who Knew?!

It's been over a year since I posted, and it's not because I haven't been reading. Au contraire, mes amis. I've read some stuff, but, as usual, I can't get through one book without getting distracted by another.

Anyway, I ran across an article about celebrities and grammar after checking my Hotmail today. Not that I give a hoot in hell about how many exclamation points Kanye West uses in a blog post, but I've always had a small fascination with grammar. I guess knowing proper usage makes me feel somehow superior to my not-as-literate friends and colleagues.

To my pleasant surprise, I learned it was National Grammar Day. I didn't know there was even such a thing (I'm truly ashamed of my ignorance). However, I decided that since I still have this blog, this would be good enough reason to post to it.

There's some cute little nuggets in the article, like the difference between a hyphen, en dash, and em dash, or when and how to use an ellipsis (those three little dots, for my neophyte grammarians). Hey, it may not be important to you….

Not only did I learn about National Grammar Day, I also learned about the The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, the folks that created it. Membership is, according to their website, free "for pen-toters appalled by wanton displays of Bad English."

Hey, don't mind if I do (it's free—and the mug looks cool).

Good Books: A COURSE IN MIRACLES & A NEW EARTH

If you check out my personal blog, studio635, you’ll see that I’m on a quest towards better living. This includes doing things that facilitate my health and general well-being, while specifically cultivating my higher self. And how can anyone’s higher self be cultivated without some serious reading and study?

Accompanying me on my spiritual journey over the years have been many books (some of which I'll discuss in subsequent posts), which have all led me closer to understanding what makes things tick inside me, and in the universe as a whole. My latest acquisitions include A Course In Miracles, and A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.

A Course In Miracles (ACIM) is designed for self-study although there are many study groups all over the world. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart or the spiritually inexperienced. I say this primarily because of the terminology used throughout this substantive text. I grew up going to church and church school, so although not a religious scholar by any means, I have a basic knowledge of the Bible, on which ACIM is loosely based (very loosely), and other books of this ilk. So although not a breeze for me, I understand the concepts enough to get through it.

Although there are many study aids available online and elsewhere, what’s been helping me are the online lessons given by author/spiritual teacher, Marianne Williamson, who’s got her own slot on Oprah Winfrey’s XM radio network, Oprah & Friends. Perhaps ACIM’s best known guru, Marianne’s decided to focus on one lesson from the text each day throughout this entire year. If you go on Oprah’s website, you’ll be able to find all lessons listed individually. Although the course started on January 1st, you can start anytime. I’m only on Lesson 3 myself, so I still have quite a ways to go.

To learn more about A Course In Miracles, check out the website for its publisher, the Foundation for Inner Peace.

A New Earth is the latest book by Eckhart Tolle, the author of the popular spiritual book, The Power of Now (which I have yet to read). It’s also the latest selection for Oprah’s Book Club, which is the reason I got it. Furthermore, there’s an online class with Oprah and Eckhart starting on March 3rd, and I wanted to get in on it. Ever since Oprah started her book club I wanted to participate, but never did. Now I’ll get my chance.

I started reading A New Earth yesterday and got through the first two chapters, which I love, love, love. Now I really can’t wait for that class to start! I'd like to finish the book first, although I don’t have to, since they’ll only be covering a chapter at a time, but I like getting a head start.

Tools You Can Use: MACJOURNAL 5

I don't think I ever reviewed software before, but this was definitely worth sharing. For those of us who like to journal and use a Mac there's a great app called MacJournal (duh). I just downloaded it from the Mariner Software website, and well, this thing is just too cool for school!

I only started using it yesterday, and I know I've only scratched the surface, but so far I'm pretty impressed. It's got more features than you can shake a stick at, even some you wouldn't necessarily think of for this type of app…or maybe you would.

You can do the usual word processory stuff but it's got other features that are geared specifically for journaling in the traditional way (simulating a diary and its pages, that you can insert as you go), or you can step into the 21st century and use it to maintain your blogs and podcasts.

For someone who loves using my computer for so many things, I've always been a bit old-fashioned about journaling. I looked at one or two shareware apps back in the day, but nothing ever impressed me. Also, I've always just loved the act of holding a beautiful journal in my hand, sitting down with the best writing implement I can find, and expressing my deepest and darkest in its o' so delicate pages. (Can you stand it?) But MacJournal is different. It's so intuitive that I just jumped in and started writing. It actually behaves like a real journal, making it very easy to use.

I'll be using it quite a bit for studying/notetaking (which is why I got it in the first place), and I look forward to checking out it's many features like adding photos, sound and video clips to my entries, and posting to my blogs from it.

FYI: If you see this cool little graphic in any future posts, you'll know what's behind it.

Starting Over… Again

It seems like every time I go on a hiatus from this site, or from blogging in general, I come back full of optimism for the future and remorse from the past. This time I believe I've worked through the remorse thing. Life happens. And it's not always about the blog. As for the optimism, it springs eternal like hope itself.

I just finished reading this entire blog from its very first post to the most recent, and I must say, it ain't half bad! I forgot how much time and effort I put into it and how much I enjoyed doing it. Although I've thought about revisiting it many times, reading through it again actually made me more inspired to pick it back up and start posting.

I've been reading a few new books lately and I figured this was as good a time as any to get my groove back with New Word. I look forward to a new start to go with this brand new year.

Happy Birthday, New Word!

Today's New Word's blogiversary. It's been one whole year since I started this blog, and one whole year of basically neglecting it. This I regret very much. I had so many cool ideas for this thing when I started it. It was all good at first. I already had my personal blog, studio635, that I started 2 weeks earlier, but I always wanted to do something literary.

Back in the day, I'd thought about doing a literary magazine, but never got it off the ground. I've always been involved in publishing, whether being on the school newspaper, or helping others design or edit their publications, so when this blogging thing came about, I figured it would be the perfect way to get my own thing going. Plus, I figured it would be a good way to get me reading books and poetry. Oh well. One out of two ain't bad.

Right now, I'm blogging everywhere but here. Since I started New Word, I've created about 5 other blogs, ranging from a community site to a videoblog. Because of those efforts, I've been invited to speak at a blogging conference, and am working a full-time job I got from a referral from my vlogger friend, Jay. I really can't complain. I just wish the days had a few more hours in them so I can post here more.

Good Book: A HOLE IN THE WIND

My friend, GA, recently introduced me to a writer named Carl S. Horner. Although I haven't actually met Mr. Horner in person (we did speak briefly on the phone), I look forward to the opportunity when he comes to NYC next week to promote his new book, A Hole In the Wind, which happens to be published by GA's company, WD Publishers.

Horner's A Hole In the Wind, unlike a certain "little piece" of a book, admits to blending fiction with the author's personal experiences of a difficult childhood. Like the book's protagonist, Colby Fowler, Carl Horner grew up with an alcoholic mother and experienced the pain of being bullied for most of his life.

The issue of bullying and its devastating effect on young children and teens has been a hot topic in the news, and on talk shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil, and The Montel Williams Show. The National Education Association estimates that "160,000 children miss school everyday due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students." Those numbers, in addition to his own experiences, have compelled Horner, a college English professor, to join the campaign to get the word out about this disturbing situation and put a stop to it, in large part through the messages of his first novel, A Hole In the Wind.

A Hole In the Wind tells the story of Colby Fowler, a teenage boy dealing with issues of bullying by his peers, and the loneliness and lack of self-worth that occur as a result. Set in the competitive sport of bicycle racing, Colby faces the struggles, and eventual triumph, of trying to fit in with his teammates at school, and maintaining his sanity with his drunken mother at home.

The reviews, so far, have been good, and according to letters the author has received, it's powerful message has already saved at least one teenager from committing suicide. Also, students at Landrum Middle School have been so touched by the healing power of A Hole In the Wind that they have rallied the entire Landrum, Florida school district to write a letter recommending the book as a topic of discussion on the Dr. Phil Show.

As of this writing, I've only read a couple of chapters, but I do look forward to reading the rest. So far, from what I can see, it's going to be a page turner—and quite possibly, a tear jerker.

New Year, New Resolve

It's been quite a while since I posted here—over 3 months. To be honest, I haven't felt very literary lately. I hadn't read a book all the way through in I don't know how long, and haven't kept up with any book news—not even from Oprah! Though there were a couple of things I wanted to say here, my focus has definitely been elsewhere. I started to wonder if I should just shut this thing down. It's not like I get many readers. And why should I if there's nothing new being posted?

I got an email today that changed my mind. It was from Steve Leveen, the CEO and Co-Founder of Levenger. I posted about his book, The Little Guide To Your Well-Read Life, way back in May (see post), and commented to his website around the same time to let them know I did. I completely forgot about it until the email showed up this afternoon (eight months later). Despite the delay, is was a very pleasant surprise. And, considering how I've been feeling lately, it totally made my day.

Here's an excerpt:

What you're doing with your blogs is just lovely—such a service to others and, I'm sure, a way for you to learn and grow as well. I admire what you've already accomplished and wish you the very best in your important work. —Steve

How cool is that?! He actually thinks what I'm doing here is important. You could have knocked me over with a feather!

Well, if Mr. Steve Leveen thinks this blog is important, then I figure I owe it to him—and myself—to stick with it. I might not post often, but I'll definitely post. I just hope people still want to read it.

So, here's to a new year and a new resolve.

I Met Amiri Baraka

I had the opportunity to meet legendary poet/writer, and New Jersey's former Poet Laureate, Amiri Baraka, and his wife, Amina, when I was out with my volunteer friends from God's Love We Deliver last night. We usually go out after our shift to a place called Cody's. It was unusually crowded that night, but I recognized him right away.

I had heard of Mr. Baraka, and seen him on television, but I really didn't know much about him, so I Googled him and gathered up some links.

Amiri Baraka
LeRoi Jones (The Beat Page)
Amiri Baraka (Pegasos Books & Writers)
Amiri Baraka (Wikipedia)

Mr. Baraka's website: amiribaraka.com

These are some books by and about Amiri Baraka:
The Leroi Jones/Amiri Baraka Reader
A Nation Within a Nation: Amiri Baraka (Leroi Jones)
and Black Power Politics
Transbluesency: The Selected Poetry of Amiri Baraka/Leroi Jones (1961-1995)
Blues People : Negro Music in White America

Listen to an audio clip of his poem, The Academic Cowards of Deception (2001).

Reading For Healing

Because of a health situation, I've decided to pursue a macrobiotic lifestyle. I needed to find alternative ways to help myself rather than to give in hopelessly, and helplessly, to surgery. I figure I should do whatever I can to feel better and move myself into a more positive frame of being before resorting to any kind of conventional solution.

The first thing I had to do was get information. I did find some websites that I've started reading through, but no matter what new interest I pursue I always like to start with books. I usually like to start with two on any subject as it's more comprehensive.

One of the books I'm reading is The Hip Chick's Guide To Macrobiotics by Jessica Porter. The title and the cover design alone made me want to check this book out, and its 5-star rating on Amazon didn't hurt either. When I finally got it in the mail and started reading it, I realized that it's got a lot more going on than just the pretty graphics.

As I came to find, macrobiotics is as much a spiritual thing as it is about eating, so be prepared to get serious for the first part of the book as Ms. Porter explains the philosophy behind the practice. Thankfully, her writing style is very down-to-earth and humorous, so it made the heavier stuff a lot easier to digest.

In addition to the diet, the philosophy, which is of Eastern origin, is what really attracted me to macrobiotics. I've been on a certain spiritual path for a few years now, and have always been interested in Eastern philosophies, so this all ties into it quite nicely.

The second half of the book is where she gets into the food. She explains the core foods, which are grains and brown rice, then gives some recipes. I couldn't help moving right into the food section to see what recipes I can try. The problem I'm having is that so much of the ingredients are unfamiliar and unavailable in my immediate area. It's not like I can just run across the street to the supermarket for wakame seaweed or umeboshi vinegar. Thankfully, there are many health food stores in NYC, and two different Chinatowns. For the more obscure stuff, I can always go online.

The other book I'm reading is The Self-Healing Cookbook: A Macrobiotic Primer for Healing Body, Mind and Moods With Whole Natural Foods by Kristina Turner. This is definitely more of a cookbook than Hip Chick's. It's got lots of recipes and gets more into the way foods affect your moods and how to deal with certain ailments through food choices.

There's a lot of overlap between the two books, which is good, and each has their own particular focus. Changing one's life isn't easy, and I've definitely got my work cut out for me, but armed with these books I believe I'm off to a very good start.

Good Book: CONFESSIONS of SUPER MOM

I got an email the other day from a woman named Melanie Lynne Hauser. As with most unsolicited email, I was slightly annoyed, but with her name being Melanie, I was at least curious as to what it was about.

Turns out, she's an author promoting her new book, Confessions of Super Mom. As I read the email, I became more intrigued and wanted to know more about her and her book. I figured it couldn't hurt, and at the very least would make good posting material for this blog, which was long overdue for an entry.

I checked out Ms. Hauser's website and was pleasantly surprised at its thoroughness. I learned quite a bit about my namesake and what her story is. Her book, which follows the journey of Birdie Lee, an average single mother who unwittingly metamorphoses into the clean machine heroine, SUPER MOM, seems like a fun read, even if you're not a mother.

I don't have kids myself, but after babysitting my two-year-old goddaughter a few times, I take my hat off to all the real supermoms out there. I congratulate you for your fortitude and dedication. Although I don't envy your position sometimes, you're definitely the greatest unsung heroes.

You can pre-order Confessions of Super Mom from the website or Amazon.com, or wait till it's official release in bookstores on August 22. I just read a short excerpt from the first chapter, and from what I can see this book should provide a great source of fun and escape. I look forward to reading the rest.

Melanie's also got a blog, Refrigerator Door, that I'll be checking out. I've already added it to the New Word blogroll.

How Much Is It?

In my May 25 post (Congratulations Berkley!) I talked about a new book of poetry, Lamplight Teller, by Berkley Semple. What I didn't mention was the price. I'm not sure if there's a hardcover version, but the paperback is $12.

For those who'd like to order the book, please send check or money order to:

WD Publishers
P.O. Box 453
San Gabriel, CA 91778

You can also send an email to publisher, GA Watkins, for more information. I'm sure they'll appreciate the support.

A Summer of Faulkner?

I just joined Oprah's Book Club. I'm surprised I hadn't done it before, as much as I watch and talk about her. I have no idea how much I'll actually get into the reading though, especially with all the other reading I'm doing, but it's a start. At least I'll now have access to all the cool stuff in the site, especially Oprah's Classroom, a free online course where I'll be privy to video lectures, Q&A sessions, and discussion groups. That's what really peaked my interest.

I'm going to need all the help I can to get through these books!

This brings me to the second article I referred to in the last post. It's an announcement of the new books Oprah chose for reading over the summer. This month's selection is As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. The picks for July and August are also by Faulkner: The Sound and the Fury and Light in August. To make it easier for folk to get the books, they've packaged them together as a three-book set called A Summer of Faulkner.

There's actually a third article that I didn't mention in the last post. It's a sidebar story entitled, As You Lay Frying. I thought it was quite funny. It basically wretched about how long each of those books are (288, 366, and 528 pages respectively), and as the author put it, "dense as hell," and "even denser than hell." She basically recommended kicking those heavy, difficult tomes to the curb and getting CliffsNotes, which run about 72 pages each. This way you can get your reading in and still enjoy your summer. Hey, sounds good to me!

New Old News

I just looked at a couple of articles that I pulled earlier this month and planned to discuss before I went offline. I was afraid they'd no longer be of interest after so long, but I read them again and decided I can still talk about them.

The first is about the not-yet-released J.K. Rowling book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. According to the article, a couple of guys got busted trying to sell advanced copies of the book to two English tabloids, The Sun, and The Mirror. They allegedly demanded $55,000 from each publication for sneak peeks at the sixth Harry Potter book.

Spokespersons from both tabloids said they intended to obtain the book from the sellers and return it to the publishers while exposing the scam in their papers. What they may not have expected was for these guys to be armed and dangerous. A chase ensued and shots were fired when a Sun reporter tried to take off without paying for the book. No one was hurt, but police did manage to arrest two guys in connection with the incident.

This is apparently the second time this has happened before a Harry Potter book came out. Four people were arrested for advance copy theft when the last book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came out in 2003.

Crime, in this case, didn't pay. I shouldn't be surprised, but it always amazes me to what lengths people will go for "easy" money. It's also interesting how much more things seem to be worth when they're rare or yet unavailable. I guess timing is everything after all (not to mention a modicum of intelligence, which Dumb and Dummer seemed to be in short supply of in this case).

Start The Presses!

It's New Word Wednesday and I'm ready to roll! It's been a month since I've posted and I'm anxious to get started. As I get my thoughts together, I'd like to say thanks to those who stopped by and checked out the blog while I was away. It was great to see the numbers in the sitemeter jump as much as they did (I actually broke the 200 mark. Yay!!) Thanks also to those who commented. I'll holla back ASAP.

Congratulations Berkley!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.