As one of those (annoying) people who seems to prefer reading about writing to actual writing (1) I found myself reading this rather exhaustive essay about the writer and editor Gordon Lish. The author collates examples of Lish’s recommendations, thoughts and teachings on how to write, organising them into a coherent methodology for writing Lish-style.
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It is a point that has made before, and has no doubt been made in a more eloquent way, but the internet is full of people presenting something that someone else has actually produced. Much of what the internet churns out is essentially repeats of something that has already been churned out on the internet. I’m not getting on my high horse here, it is second nature for most of us. We share things on Facebook. We retweet. We reblog on Tumblr and WordPress. We embed videos and songs and photos from other people.
I’ve been watching various episodes of the classic series The Shock of the New, that thirty years ago covered the development of modern art over eight one-hour episodes. In the video above, from around 25:20 to 28:20 is perhaps my favourite three minutes of TV this year – the message feels just as relevant now as I imagine it did then, perhaps even more so. They don’t make ’em like this anymore.
This feels like one of those posts where I should really do something clever with the format, to reflect the subject matter and outline its possibilities. But I suspect that is beyond your humble correspondent’s capabilities, particularly as he tries to squeeze in a blog post in an already truncated lunch break, and oh the excuses! Anyway, let me tell you about whiteandwhite, an algorithmic noir movie. Read the rest of this entry »
Here’s something interesting for you – the BBC transcript to be used in the event of a nuclear attack, that would have most likely been used if the bomb had been dropped on Britain in the seventies or eighties. It is chilling stuff, but also pretty sensible advice. I guess clarity, authority and calm would be of utmost importance, in the circumstances. Read the rest of this entry »
Wait until next year 