This is a pretty neat list of essays on writing by writers.
Posted in December 2013 …
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) birthday word generator
Which English words originated in your birthday year? The folks at Oxford English Dictionary (OED) have researched the first known usage of words from 1900 to 2004. Check out your birthday word on their website here. Mine was “mockney.” Who knew?
New York Times Quiz for Dialect
My mother, who had a Ph.D. in English linguistics, used to say that she listened to a linguist on the radio pre-World War II. The host of the show would have callers recite a list of words and guess their U.S. geographic origin based on dialect. Apparently, the man was quite accurate and the show … Continue reading
A “smart” pen for writers – Livescribe 3 smartpen
I came across the “Livescribe 3 smartpen” in a technology magazine the other day. Made by Livescribe, the pen records handwritten text and pictures from (special) paper to a smartphone or tablet. Write on “Livescribe dot paper” using this special pen and the same thing appears in electronic form on the smartphone or tablet. … Continue reading
NPR – The Art (and Glut) of Memoir
The Colin McEnroe NPR talk show broadcast “The Art (and Glut) of Memoir” in January 2012. The link includes a short article and the roughly 49-minute audio. The host discusses the memoirs that have made it to the bestseller list (all by celebrities), whether “memoir” is prestigious or simply a dirty word, and some writing … Continue reading
Poets & Writers magazine publishes a list of books for writers
I found a copy of the 1998 version of “On Writing Well,” while rummaging around used books at the local library. I’ve been looking for books on creative writing, convinced that I can learn most of the tricks of the trade without shelling out big bucks for an MFA. When I held up … Continue reading
Letters from Sandy Hook – Newtown to the World
When I received an email from Suzanne Davenport in early summer 2013 that described her ambitious project to compile a book based on how Newtowners felt after 12/14, I admired her courage. Suzanne and I met as volunteers in the Newtown Volunteer Task Force Call Center where we received and returned phone calls and emails … Continue reading
59% YOY Growth for Self-Published Titles from 2011 to 2012
An analysis of U.S. ISBN data by Bowker has revealed extraordinary growth for self-published books, 391,000 titles in 2012, which represents a 59% increase over 2011. Ebooks comprised 40% of ISBN numbers. Eight companies produced 80% of the print & e-book titles, including: CreateSpace, Smashwords, Lulu, Xibris (Div. of Author Solutions), AuthorHouse (Div. of Author … Continue reading
NY Times Opinionator – “When Writers Expose the Dead”
Great opinion piece by author Ken Budd in the November 30, 2013 NY Times called “When Writers Expose the Dead.” How do we handle the painful truth in our memoirs? Budd answers.
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