tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3603885078061366352023-11-15T11:59:39.905-05:00rtfm*Peter's blog.Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-66351084330592366942018-01-02T14:02:00.001-05:002018-12-31T12:30:55.815-05:00Reading or Read: 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm going to be continuing to blog on <a href="http://blog.learningtree.com/category/communication-2/" target="_blank">communication-related</a> and <a href="http://blog.learningtree.com/tag/user-interface/" target="_blank">user interface design</a> topics for Learning Tree International. Because I worry about "conflict of interest" kinds of things, I'll be shuttering this blog on communication topics until Learning Tree realizes that I'm not worth spending money on.</div>
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Reading or read:</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Social-Construction-Reality-Sociology-Knowledge/dp/0385058985/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514919652&sr=1-1&keywords=social+reality">The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge</a> by Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Association-Small-Bombs-Novel/dp/0143109278/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514919687&sr=1-1&keywords=association+of+small+bombs+by+karan+mahajan">The Association of Small Bombs</a> by Karan Mahajan</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Song-Prince-Igor-Russian-Twelfth-ebook/dp/B00O122VR8/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1515356766&sr=1-5&keywords=song+igor">The Song of Prince Igor</a> by Robert Mann</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Inch-Golden-Lotus-Binding-Fiction/dp/0824816064/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1515356797&sr=1-1&keywords=three+inch+lotus">The Three-Inch Golden Lotus</a> by Feng Jica</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hip-Family-Tree-1975-1983-Gift/dp/1606997912/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1515356867&sr=1-1&keywords=hip+hop+family+tree">Hip Hop Family Tree 1975-1983 </a> by Ed Piskor</li>
<li><a href="https://shop.mcmichael.com/collections/canadian-art/products/passion-over-reason-exhibition-catalogue">Passion Over Reason: Joyce Wieland and Tom Thompson</a> by Sarah Stanners</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Wanda-Koop-Edge-Experience/dp/0888848781/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1515608364&sr=1-1&keywords=wanda+koop+experience">Wanda Koop: On the Edge of Experience</a> by Wanda Koop and Mary Carpenter Reid</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Park-Bench-Christophe-Chabout%C3%A9/dp/1501154028/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1515608459&sr=1-1&keywords=park+bench">Park Bench</a> by Christophe Chabouté</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hit-Refresh-Rediscover-Microsofts-Everyone/dp/0062652508/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1515759402&sr=1-1&keywords=hit+refresh">Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone</a> by Satya Nadella</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B009HQA5Q2/ref=s9_acsd_hps_bw_c_x_6_w?pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=VY1H49V5KB4SKZ0F4N52&pf_rd_r=VY1H49V5KB4SKZ0F4N52&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=8db477c3-1dcf-4257-9968-75cb6c1dbb85&pf_rd_p=8db477c3-1dcf-4257-9968-75cb6c1dbb85&pf_rd_i=12605008011">Oxford Modern English Grammar</a> by Bas Aarts</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/American-Cornball-Laffopedic-Guide-Formerly/dp/0062225170/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516095677&sr=1-1&keywords=american+cornball">American Cornball: A Laffopedic Guide to the Formerly Funny</a> by Christopher Miller</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/40-Sonnets-Don-Paterson/dp/0374100187/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516095630&sr=1-1&keywords=40+sonnets">40 Sonnets</a> by Don Paterson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Habibi-Pantheon-Graphic-Novels-Thompson/dp/0375424148/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516195467&sr=1-1&keywords=habibi">Habibi</a> by Craig Thompson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Exorcist-Anniversary-William-Peter-Blatty/dp/006209436X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516287481&sr=1-1&keywords=the+exorcist">The Exorcist</a> by William Peter Blatty</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Angel-History-Novel-Rabih-Alameddine/dp/080212576X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516365288&sr=1-1&keywords=angel+of+history">The Angel of History</a> by Rabih Alameddine</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Poems-1962-2012-Louise-Gl%C3%BCck/dp/0374534098/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516635040&sr=1-2&keywords=gluck">Poems 1962-2012</a> by Louise Glück</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sing-Unburied-Novel-Jesmyn-Ward/dp/1501126067/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516668474&sr=1-1&keywords=sing+unburied+sing">Sing, Unburied, Sing</a> by Jesmyn Ward</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thunderbolts-Justice-Like-Lightning-TPB/dp/0785108173/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517013127&sr=1-5&keywords=thunderbolts+busiek">Thunderbolts: Justice Like Lightning</a> by Kurt Busiek</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Crisis-Brad-Meltzer/dp/1401206883/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517154568&sr=1-3&keywords=identity+crisis">Identity Crisis</a> by Brad Meltzer</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fever-Pitch-Nick-Hornby/dp/1573226882/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517280178&sr=1-1&keywords=fever+pitch">Fever Pitch</a> by Nick Hornby</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/We-Stay-Jenny-Hubbard/dp/0385740581/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517280113&sr=1-1&keywords=and+we+stay">And We Stay</a> by Jenny Hubbard</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Odysseus-Abroad-novel-Amit-Chaudhuri/dp/1101874511/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517279970&sr=1-1&keywords=odysseus+abroad">Odysseus Abroad</a> by Amit Chaudhuri</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Independent-Vintage-International-Halldor-Laxness-ebook/dp/B0031W1EIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517658334&sr=1-1&keywords=independent+people">Independent People</a> by Halldor Laxness</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Bj%C3%B8rnstjerne-Bj%C3%B8rnson-MEGAPACK-Classic-Works-ebook/dp/B00IACXM9Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1518085113&sr=1-1&keywords=megapack+Bjornson">A Happy Boy, Arne, Poems and Songs</a> by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Walascheks-Dream-Giovanni-Orelli-ebook/dp/B01IITGINM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526128953&sr=1-1&keywords=Walaschek%27s+Dream">Walaschek's Dream</a> by Giovanni Orelli</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Complete-J-Michael-Straczynski/dp/0785154302/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517940009&sr=8-1&keywords=the+twelve+straczynski&dpID=51SJu4k1TVL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch">The Twelve</a> by J. Michael Straczynski</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Captain-America-Truth-Premiere-HC/dp/0785136665/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1518085184&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Captain+America%3A+Truth">Captain America: The Truth</a> by Robert Morales</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Weird-Tales-Northern-Seas-Norwegian/dp/1932043411/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518263651&sr=1-4&keywords=jonas+lie&dpID=51XAEAisJEL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch">Weird Tales from Northern Seas: Norwegian Legends</a>/<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Family-at-Gilje-Jonas-Lie-ebook/dp/B076W4LHW5/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524514159&sr=1-1&keywords=family+jonas+lies">The Family at Gilje</a> by Jonas Lie</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Am-Brother-XX-Fleur-Jaeggy-ebook/dp/B06Y3NHVBS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518522416&sr=1-1&keywords=I+am+xx%27s+brother">I am the Brother of XX</a> by Fleur Jaeggy</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cages-Second-Dave-McKean/dp/1506700845/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518617521&sr=1-1&keywords=cages+mckean">Cages</a> by Dave McKean</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Old-Weird-America-Dylans-Basement-ebook/dp/B004L2LG2Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518617557&sr=1-1&keywords=old+weird+america">The Old, Weird America: The World of Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes</a> by Greil Marcus</li>
<li><a href="https://www.gimletmedia.com/mogul">Mogul Podcast </a>by Reggie Ossé</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Granta-141-Canada-Madeleine-Thien-ebook/dp/B076FMMDYH/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518656251&sr=1-2&keywords=granta">Granta 141: Canada</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Granta-142-Animalia-Magazine-Writing/dp/1909889121/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523958263&sr=1-1&keywords=granta+142">Granta 142: Animalia</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Granta-143-After-Magazine-Writing/dp/1909889164/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525621647&sr=1-1&keywords=granta+143&dpID=61iTQ4nzxEL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch">Granta 143: After the Fact</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Granta-144-Generic-Magazine-Writing/dp/1909889172/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1536333836&sr=1-1&keywords=granta+generic" target="_blank">Granta 144: Generic Love Story</a>, <a href="https://thefiddlehead.ca/issue/275" target="_blank">Fiddlehead 275</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sadie-When-Died-Precinct-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00FT5ILM0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519068955&sr=1-1&keywords=sadie+when+she+died">Sadie When She Died</a> by Ed McBain</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rage-Harlem-Detectives-ebook/dp/B00589AYKE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519068983&sr=1-1&keywords=rage+harlem">A Rage in Harlem</a> by Chester Himes</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hater-87th-Precinct-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B007MDDD52/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519311425&sr=1-1&keywords=cop+hater">Cop Hater</a> by Ed McBain</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Magpie-Murders-Novel-Anthony-Horowitz-ebook/dp/B01LWL3JC8/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519695875&sr=1-2&keywords=magpie+murders+anthony+horowitz">Magpie Murders</a> by Anthony Horowitz</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Years-Months-Days-Two-Novellas-ebook/dp/B074N99GP3/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519695723&sr=1-1&keywords=years%2C+months%2C+days">The Years, Months, Days</a> by Yan Lianke</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Signs-Preceding-World-Yuri-Herrera-ebook/dp/B00U58TZH6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520169859&sr=1-1&keywords=signs+preceding+the+end+of+the+world">Signs Preceding the End of the World</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Transmigration-Bodies-Yuri-Herrera-ebook/dp/B01H65WGE4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520586735&sr=1-1&keywords=transmigration+of+bodies">The Transmigration of Bodies</a> by Yuri Herrera</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Wolf-Herman-L%C3%A1szl%C3%B3-Krasznahorkai-ebook/dp/B01E9EHWUS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520169896&sr=1-1&keywords=the+last+wolf+herman">The Last Wolf & Herman</a> by László Krasznahorkai</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bellevue-Square-Michael-Redhill-ebook/dp/B01N4FF2IJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520169940&sr=1-1&keywords=bellevue+square+by+michael+redhill">Bellevue Square</a> by Michael Redhill</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grendel-Omnibus-3-Orions-Reign-ebook/dp/B00GSA7GNK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520510544&sr=1-1&keywords=grendel+omnibus+3">Grendel Omnibus Volume 3: Orion's Reign</a> by Matt Wagner </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-Brilliant-Friend-Neapolitan-Novels-ebook/dp/B079MGWXK6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520510514&sr=1-1&keywords=my+brilliant+friend">My Brilliant Friend</a> by Elena Ferrante</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Other-Stories-Dover-Thrift-Editions-ebook/dp/B00A73FGI6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520694982&sr=1-1&keywords=oil+jar">The Oil Jar and Other Stories</a> by Luigi Pirandello</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sons-Lovers-David-Herbert-Lawrence-ebook/dp/B0084B1P2Y/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520586797&sr=1-2&keywords=sons+and+lovers">Sons and Lovers</a> by D. H. Lawrence</li>
<li><a href="https://www.gimletmedia.com/startup/">StartUp: Podcast</a> by Alex Blumberg</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Call-Us-Dead-Poems-ebook/dp/B01N2QLTRM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1521289956&sr=1-1&keywords=danez+smith">Don't Call Us Dead</a> by Danez Smith</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/William-Beckman-Carl-Belz/dp/029598290X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1521290024&sr=1-4&keywords=william+beckman">William Beckman</a> by Carl Belz</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Death-Vs-Secret-Twelve/dp/1442133686/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1521476858&sr=1-2&keywords=secret+twelve+and+doctor+death">Doctor Death vs. The Secret Twelve, Volume 2</a> by Harold Ward</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Essentials-Vol-3/dp/0785121668/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1521670324&sr=1-1&keywords=captain+america+essentials+3&dpID=51YCDvXgkJL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch">Captain America: Essentials, Vol. 3</a> by Stan Lee, Gary Friedrich, Steve Englehart</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hostage-Guy-Delisle/dp/1770462791/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1522188999&sr=1-1&keywords=hostage+delisle&dpID=41bhsqgw1XL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch">Hostage</a> by Guy Delisle</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gwenn-Thomas-David-Levi-Strauss/dp/8881588579/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1522152665&sr=1-1&keywords=Gwenn+thomas&dpID=51eI4XNSgDL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch">Gwenn Thomas</a> by David Levi Strauss</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Divorce-European-Classics-Grazia-Deledda/dp/0810112493/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1522152795&sr=1-4&keywords=after+the+divorce&dpID=519haFgG%252BQL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch">After the Divorce</a> by Grazia Deledda</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Night-Vale-Joseph-Fink-ebook/dp/B00SRY5F8I/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523613308&sr=1-3&keywords=welcome+to+night+vale">Welcome to Night Vale</a> by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/%C3%89milie-Charmy-Matthew-Affron/dp/0983505950/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1522600314&sr=1-2&keywords=charmy">Émilie Charmy</a> by Matthew Affron </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Solitary-Twin-Harry-Mathews/dp/0811227545/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1522600346&sr=1-1&keywords=the+solitary+twin">The Solitary Twin</a> by Harry Mathews</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Islands-Decolonial-Love-Leanne-Simpson/dp/189403788X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1522860384&sr=1-1&keywords=Decolonial+love">Islands of Decolonial Love</a> by Leanne Simpson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tamil-Story-Through-Times-Tides-ebook/dp/B01BMEDZ4A/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523613532&sr=1-1&keywords=tamil+stories">The Tamil Story: Through The Times, Through The Tides</a> by Dilip Kumar </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Uber-1-Kieron-Gillen/dp/1592912184/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523613378&sr=1-2&keywords=uber+gillen">Uber Volume</a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Uber-1-Kieron-Gillen/dp/1592912184/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523613378&sr=1-2&keywords=uber+gillen"> 1</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Uber-2-Kieron-Gillen/dp/1592912370/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523958157&sr=1-6&keywords=uber+gillen">2</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Uber-3-Tp-Kieron-Gillen/dp/1592912516/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523958157&sr=1-5&keywords=uber+gillen">3</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Uber-4-Tp-Kieron-Gillen/dp/1592912575/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528768092&sr=1-9&keywords=uber+kieron" target="_blank">4</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Uber-5-Tp-Kieron-Gillen/dp/1592912680/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528768092&sr=1-7&keywords=uber+kieron" target="_blank">5</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Uber-6-Kieron-Gillen/dp/1592913326/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528768166&sr=1-1&keywords=uber+kieron+6" target="_blank">6</a> by Kieron Gillen </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Smile-Raina-Telgemeier-ebook/dp/B00J417FYU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523613262&sr=1-1&keywords=smile+raina">Smile</a> by Raina Telgemeier</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Between-Two-Rains-Aleksandrs-Caks-ebook/dp/B00C10SNZG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523958122&sr=1-1&keywords=between+two+rains&dpID=51IKClyIQrL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch">Between Two Rains</a> by Aleksandrs Caks</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Cutter-Other-Fantastic-Stories-ebook/dp/B008QBZ708/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524652445&sr=1-2&keywords=early+science+fiction+bamboo+cutter">The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter and Other Fantastic Stories</a> by David Lear (ed.)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blazing-World-Margaret-Cavendish-ebook/dp/B00JREEPR4/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524809733&sr=1-4&keywords=blazing+world">The Blazing World</a> by Margaret Cavendish</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sure-France-Daigle-ebook/dp/B00IN8P6L4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524809837&sr=1-1&keywords=for+sure+france">For Sure</a> by France Daigle</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Self-Portrait-Convex-Mirror-Poems-Penguin/dp/0140586687/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524652483&sr=1-1&keywords=in+a+convex+mirror">Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror</a> by John Ashbery</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Oroonoko-Aphra-Behn/dp/1986638472/ref=sr_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525214905&sr=1-14&keywords=aphra+behn">Oroonoko, The Fair Jilt & 3 Short Stories</a> by Aphra Behn </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Karate-Chop-Translation-Selection-Paperback-ebook/dp/B00EMT2ELI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525514728&sr=1-1&keywords=KARAte+chop">Karate Chop</a> by Dorthe Nors </li>
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<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/American-Psycho-Bret-Easton-Ellis/dp/0679735771/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1538479043&sr=1-1&keywords=american+psycho">American Psycho</a> by by Bret Easton Ellis</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/June-Wayne-Retrospective-Arlene-Raven/dp/0295976071/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1538478929&sr=1-1&keywords=june+wayne">June Wayne: A Retrospective</a> by Arlene Raven</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/HERLAND-Wisehouse-Classics-Original-1909-1916-ebook/dp/B01BQ1A3AI/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1538923959&sr=1-7&keywords=herland">HerLand</a> by Charlotte Perkins Gilman</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daumier-by-Roger-Passeron-1986-02-02/dp/B01K3K3BIE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1538924039&sr=1-1&keywords=daumier+roger">Daumier </a> by Roger Passeron</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Blood-James-Welch-ebook/dp/B00PFZQ2AW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539171062&sr=1-1&keywords=winter+in+the+blood">Winter in the Blood</a> by James Welch</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/P-S-Paris-US-Marc-Levy-ebook/dp/B01NAFSI7P/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539310076&sr=1-1&keywords=ps+levy">P.S. from Paris</a> by Marc Levy</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Rock-Dortmunder-Novel-Novels-ebook/dp/B005UK7TVS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539692734&sr=1-1&keywords=hot+rock">The Hot Rock</a> by Donald E. Westlake</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tricks-87th-Precinct-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B005WZZTEK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539821752&sr=1-1&keywords=tricks+mcbain">Tricks</a> by Ed McBain</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/30-Days-Night-Steve-Niles-ebook/dp/B008O7T890/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539822258&sr=1-1&keywords=30+days+of+night">30 Days of Night</a> by Steve Niles</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bookshop-Penelope-Fitzgerald/dp/0544484096/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540146953&sr=1-1&keywords=the+bookshop+fitzgerald">The Bookshop</a> by Penelope Fitzgerald</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nighttimepodcast.com/" target="_blank">The Night Time Podcast</a> by Jordan Bonaparte</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Fall-Hyperion-Dan-Simmons/dp/0553288202/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1540384557&sr=8-2&keywords=hyperion+simmons">The Fall of Hyperion</a> by Dan Simmons</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legion-Regrettable-Supervillains-Oddball-Criminals/dp/1594749329/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540212231&sr=1-1&keywords=league+of+regrettable+supervillains">The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains: Oddball Criminals from Comic Book History</a> by Jon Morris</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Florette-Manon-Springs-Marcel-Pagnol/dp/0865473129/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540399951&sr=1-2&keywords=manon+of+the+spring+in+books">Jean de Florette & Manon of the Springs</a> by Marcel Pagnol</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Kissing-Nests-Werner-Lutz-ebook/dp/B00DE2L06O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540384328&sr=1-1&keywords=kissing+nests">Kissing Nests</a> by Werner Lutz</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/We-Their-Sons-City-Rust-ebook/dp/B07JF7SH2C?keywords=we%2C+their+sons&qid=1540626994&s=Books&sr=1-1&ref=sr_1_1">We, Their Sons</a> by Jeff Isacksen; <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tea-Master-Detective-Aliette-Bodard-ebook/dp/B07B9NR661?keywords=tea+detective&qid=1540627056&s=Books&sr=1-1&ref=sr_1_1">The Tea Master and the Detective</a> by Aliette de Bodard ; <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Only-Harmless-Great-Thing-ebook/dp/B07142ZRWY?keywords=only+harmless+great&qid=1540627111&s=Books&sr=1-1-fkmrnull&ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1">The Only Harmless Great Thing</a> by Brooke Bolander </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Butchers-Crossing-Review-Books-Classics-ebook/dp/B004FGMQUW?keywords=butchers+crossing&qid=1540731332&s=Books&sr=1-1&ref=sr_1_1">Butcher's Crossing</a> by John Williams</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Paso-Aqui-Western-Frontier-Library/dp/0806110791?keywords=paso+por+aqui&qid=1540735904&s=Books&sr=1-1&ref=sr_1_1">Paso Por Aqui</a>/<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Copper-Streak-Eugene-Manlove-Rhodes-ebook/dp/B0084BTP2Q/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1541111861&sr=1-9&keywords=manlove+rhodes">Copper Streak Trail</a> by Eugene Manlove Rhodes </li>
<li><a href="http://www.riverbendpublishing.com/the-man-who-shot-liberty-valance.html">The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance</a> by Dorothy M. Johnson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Marvellous-Strange-Penguin-Classics-ebook/dp/B00NO9YRCQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1541333456&sr=1-3&keywords=news+of+the+strange">Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion-Folly/dp/0767905997/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1541645296&sr=1-1&keywords=miracle+of+castel">The Miracle of Castel di Sangro: A Tale of Passion and Folly in the Heart of Italy</a> by Joe McGinniss</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Split-Tooth-Tanya-Tagaq/dp/0670070092/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1541679078&sr=1-1&keywords=split+tooth">Split Tooth</a> by Tanya Tagaq</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Empires-Word-Language-History-World/dp/0060935723/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542206724&sr=1-1&keywords=empires+of+the+word">Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World</a> by Nicholas Ostler</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Wheels-Selected-Poems-Birney/dp/B000BJGJU0/ref=sr_1_23?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542206588&sr=1-23&keywords=earle+birney">Ghost in the Wheels: Selected Poems</a> by Earle Birney</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Written-Wood-Wordless-Graphic-Narratives/dp/1770854320/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542762659&sr=1-1&keywords=written+in+wood">Written in Wood: Three Wordless Graphic Narratives</a> by George Walker</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Country-Dorothy-M-Johnson/dp/0803275854/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543325409&sr=1-1&keywords=indian+country+johnson">Indian Country</a> by Dorothy M. Johnson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Telesforas-Valius-Romas-Viesulas/dp/0969174802/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543757695&sr=1-2&keywords=telesforas+valius">Telesforas Valius</a> by Romas Viesulas</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Summit-Gods-Vol-4/dp/8492444630/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543758048&sr=1-2&keywords=summit+of+the+gods">The Summit of the Gods, Vol. 4</a> by Baku Yumemakura and Jiro Taniguchi</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Skin-Divers-Anne-Michaels/dp/0747544530/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543774527&sr=1-2&keywords=anne+michaels+skin">Skin Divers</a> by Anne Michaels</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Stories-Clarice-Lispector-ebook/dp/B076HTT8X4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543868133&sr=1-1&keywords=short+stories+lispector">Complete Stories</a> by Clarice Lispector</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Stories-William-Carlos-Williams/dp/0811209261/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544181091&sr=1-1&keywords=doctor+stories">The Doctor Stories</a> by William Carlos Williams</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mister-X-Archives-Dean-Motter/dp/1506702651/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544205487&sr=1-1&keywords=mister+x">Mister X: The Archives</a> by Dean Motter</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Garden-Frances-Hodgson-Burnett/dp/1514665956/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544205515&sr=1-4&keywords=the+secret+garden">The Secret Garden</a> by Frances Hodgson Burnett</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Cowboy-Fifteen-Hurricane-Spanish/dp/1540575934/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544359208&sr=1-1&keywords=charlie+siringo">A Texas Cowboy, or, Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony</a> by Charles A. Siringo</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Destroy-All-Monsters-Last-Novel/dp/0374537666/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544882499&sr=1-1&keywords=Destroy+all+monsters">Destroy All Monsters: The Last Rock Novel</a> by Jeff Jackson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Penguin-Book-Russian-Poetry-Classics-ebook/dp/B00NCLPGI0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544955961&sr=1-1&keywords=russian+poetry+penguin">The Penguin Book of Russian Poetry</a> by Robert Chandler</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Leavenworth-Case-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143106120/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545166697&sr=1-1&keywords=the+leavenworth+case">The Leavenworth Case</a> by Anna Katharine Green</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Secretaries-Making-James-Bible/dp/0060838736/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545486125&sr=8-1&keywords=god%27s+secretaries">God's Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible</a> by Adam Nicolson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marc-Chagall-collections-national-Pompidou/dp/2891921011/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545486067&sr=8-2&keywords=marc+chagall+montreal">Marc Chagall: Works from the collections of the Museé national d'art moderne</a> by Marc Chagall</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Above-Line-Lessons-Leadership-Championship/dp/1101980729/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545734832&sr=1-1&keywords=urban+meyer">Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Program</a> by Urban Meyer</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Astro-City-Vol-14-Reflections/dp/1401274927/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545829751&sr=1-4&keywords=astro+city">Astro City Vol. 14: Reflections</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Astro-City-Vol-15-Ordinary/dp/1401274935/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545829751&sr=1-3&keywords=astro+city">Astro City Vol. 15: Ordinary Heroes</a> by Kurt Busiek</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/New-Annotated-Frankenstein-Mary-Shelley/dp/0871409496/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545829833&sr=1-1&keywords=annotated+frankenstein">The New Annotated Frankenstein</a> by Mary Shelley and Leslie S. Klinger</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Black-Panther-Nation-Under-Feet/dp/1302900536/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545829860&sr=1-1&keywords=black+panther+coates">Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Book 1</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Black-Panther-Nation-Under-Feet/dp/1302900544/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545829860&sr=1-4&keywords=black+panther+coates">Book 2</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Black-Panther-Nation-Under-Feet/dp/1302901915/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545829860&sr=1-3&keywords=black+panther+coates">Book 3</a> by Ta-Nehisi Coates</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Challengers-Jack-Kirby/dp/1401277195/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1546276642&sr=1-1&keywords=challengers+of+the+unknown+kirby">Challengers of the Unknown</a> by Jack Kirby</li>
</ul>
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Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-66303381104936194042017-01-09T09:05:00.000-05:002018-11-28T14:10:22.382-05:00Reading List 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm going to be continuing to blog on <a href="http://blog.learningtree.com/category/communication-2/" target="_blank">communication-related</a> and <a href="http://blog.learningtree.com/tag/user-interface/" target="_blank">user interface design</a> topics for Learning Tree International. Because I worry about "conflict of interest" kinds of things, I'll be shuttering this blog on communication topics until Learning Tree realizes that I'm not worth spending money on.</div>
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Reading or read:</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Lovecraft-Country-Novel-Matt-Ruff-ebook/dp/B00UG61LNS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1483970611&sr=1-1&keywords=lovecraft+country">Lovecraft Country</a> by Matt Ruff </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seiobo-There-Below-Ndp-1280-ebook/dp/B00A58VDO4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484655548&sr=1-1&keywords=seiobo+there+below">Seiobo There Below</a> by László Krasznahorkai</li>
<li><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Monet-FRANK-MILNER/dp/1854222368/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1483970461&sr=1-3&keywords=monet+frank+milner">Monet</a> by Frank Milner/<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Monet-Sandro-Sproccati/dp/0785802002/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484433432&sr=1-1&keywords=monet+sproccati">Monet</a> by Sandro Sproccati</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Heike-Penguin-Classics-ebook/dp/B007V65S44/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484433461&sr=1-1&keywords=tale+of+the+Heike">The Tale of the Heike</a> by Royall Tyler</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Voice-That-Great-Within-Twentieth/dp/0553262637/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485634465&sr=1-1&keywords=the+voice+that+is+great+within+us">The Voice That Is Great Within Us: American Poetry of the Twentieth Century </a>edited by Hayden Carruth</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lithography-Technique-Tabanelli-Marcello-Hardcover/dp/B00ZM2V0OG/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485970909&sr=1-4&keywords=lithography+200+years">Lithography: 200 Years of Art, History and Technique</a> by Rosalba Tabanelli</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pornografia-Novel-Witold-Gombrowicz-ebook/dp/B005GEZ23A/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486426038&sr=1-1&keywords=pornographia">Pornografia</a> by Witold Gombrowicz</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Cultural-History-Peter-Burke/dp/0745644104/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486492885&sr=1-1&keywords=what+is+cultural+history">What is Cultural History?</a> by Peter Burke</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Eugenia-Fictional-Sketch-Future-Customs/dp/0299306844/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486752285&sr=1-1&keywords=eugenia">Eugenia: A Fictional Sketch of Future Customs</a> by Eduardo Urzaiz</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Astro-City-Vol-12-Quarrel-ebook/dp/B017I301NC/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486910348&sr=1-4&keywords=astro+city">Astro City Vol. 12: Lovers' Quarrel</a> by Kurt Busiek</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Call-Wild-Jack-London-ebook/dp/B0083ZBW2Y/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486910429&sr=1-3&keywords=call+of+the+wild">The Call of the Wild</a> by Jack London</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Death-Comes-Archbishop-Willa-Cather-ebook/dp/B01B2TP1R4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486910467&sr=1-1&keywords=death+comes+for+the+archbishop">Death Comes for the Archbishop</a> by Willa Cather</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/We-Have-Always-Lived-Castle-ebook/dp/B0191GR1XW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486910494&sr=1-1&keywords=we+have+always+lived+in+the+castle">We Have Always Lived in the Castle</a> by Shirley Jackson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seconds-Graphic-Bryan-Lee-OMalley/dp/0345529375/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486910548&sr=1-1&keywords=seconds+o%27malley">Seconds</a> by Bryan Lee O'Malley</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Glengarry-Schooldays-Ralph-Connor/dp/1495331830/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487508825&sr=1-1&keywords=glengarry+schooldays">Glengarry Schooldays</a> by Ralph Connor</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Parallel-Stories-Novel-P%C3%A9ter-N%C3%A1das-ebook/dp/B005BORHGU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487508881&sr=1-1">Parallel Stories</a> by Péter Nádas </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sculptor-Scott-McCloud-ebook/dp/B00SSJFO10/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487508910&sr=1-1&keywords=sculptor">The Sculptor</a> by Scott McCloud</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grain-Polish-Prosecutor-Szacki-Investigates-ebook/dp/B00918JM9C/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488210346&sr=1-2&keywords=grain+of+truth">A Grain of Truth</a> by Zygmunt Miloszewski</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Flannery-Oconnor-Complete-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B00QFPVKF8/ref=sr_1_14?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1488210418&sr=1-14&keywords=flannery+o%27connor+stories">Complete Short Stories</a> by Flannery O'Connor</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trips-Moon-Samosata-Lucian/dp/1406861804/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488281000&sr=1-5&keywords=lucian+trips+to+the+moon">Instructions for History/Trips to the Moon</a> by Lucian of Samosata</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Austerlitz-Modern-Library-Paperbacks-Sebald/dp/0812982614/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488746010&sr=1-1&keywords=austerlitz+sebald">Austerlitz</a> by W.G. Sebald</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Occupation-Trilogy-Place-toile-Night-ebook/dp/B01301IZ8O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489148694&sr=1-1&keywords=the+occupation+trilogy">The Occupation Trilogy</a> by Patrick Modiano</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Man-Panthers-Skin-Romantic-Epic-ebook/dp/B00R8HLK8O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489148732&sr=1-1&keywords=man+in+the+panther+skin">Man in the Panther's Skin</a> by Shot’ha Rust’haveli</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seats-Mighty-Complete-Gilbert-Parker-ebook/dp/B0084ABEDK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489505776&sr=1-1&keywords=seats+of+the+mighty">The Seats of the Mighty</a> by Gilbert Parker</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Violent-Bear-Away-Flannery-OConnor-ebook/dp/B00QFPVKEE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489754297&sr=1-1&keywords=the+violent+bear+it+away">The Violent Bear It Away</a> by Flannery O'Connor</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Everyday-Life-Michel-Certeau/dp/0520271459/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489754335&sr=1-3&keywords=everyday+life">The Practice of Everyday Life</a> by Michel de Certeau</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Music-Greg-Bear-ebook/dp/B00J48FHRA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490100587&sr=1-1&keywords=greg+bear+blood">Blood Music</a> by Greg Bear</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sarajevo-Marlboro-Miljenko-Jergovic-ebook/dp/B007ZQXU22/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1491134569&sr=1-1&keywords=sarAjevo+marlboro">Sarajevo Marlboro</a> by Miljenko Jergovic</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-Days-Night-Peter-Stamm-ebook/dp/B00K9MIYYI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1491134643&sr=1-1&keywords=all+days+are+night">All Days Are Night</a> by Peter Stamm</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Emigrants-New-Directions-Paperbook/dp/081122614X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1491480054&sr=1-1&keywords=emigrants+sebald">The Emigrants</a> by W. G. Sebald</li>
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<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Work-Days-Tess-Taylor/dp/1597097322/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504620237&sr=1-1&keywords=works+and+days+tess">Work & Days</a> by Tess Taylor</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Company-Town/dp/B01KILULNQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505179816&sr=1-1&keywords=company+town">Company Town</a> by Madeline Ashby</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Hakawati/dp/B00QXKRHJ8/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505386963&sr=1-5&keywords=Rabih+Alameddine">The Hakawati</a> by Rabih Alameddine</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Night-Ocean/dp/B06XC5CKBR/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505452450&sr=1-1&keywords=the+night+ocean+paul+la+farge">The Night Ocean</a> by Paul La Farge</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Riders-Purple-Sage-Zane-Grey/dp/1619492571/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505620668&sr=1-2&keywords=riders+of+the+purple+sage">Riders of the Purple Sage</a> by Zane Grey</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cousin-Pons-Honore-Balzac/dp/1532774346/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506349422&sr=1-3&keywords=cousin+pons">Cousin Pons</a> by Honore de Balzac</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kiowa-Verdict-Cynthia-Haseloff/dp/0843961325/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506384689&sr=1-1&keywords=kiowa+verdict">The Kiowa Verdict</a> by Cynthia Haseloff</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Story-Photograph-Burroughs-Depression-Singles-ebook/dp/B00846931Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506349475&sr=1-1&keywords=story+of+a+photography+walker+evans">The Story of a Photograph: Walker Evans, Ellie Mae Burroughs, and the Great Depression</a> by Jerry L. Thompson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Starks-Parker-Vol-Outfit/dp/1600107621/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506850732&sr=1-1&keywords=the+outfit+cooke">Richard Stark's Parker, Vol. 2: The Outfit</a> by Richard Stark and Darwyn Cooke</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rembrandt-Not-Metropolitan-Museum-Connoisseurship/dp/0870997548/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506887946&sr=1-1&keywords=rembrandt%2Fnot">Rembrandt/Not Rembrandt in the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Aspects of Connoisseurship</a> by Hubert von Sonnenburg</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Omeros-Derek-Walcott/dp/0374523509/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506942236&sr=1-1&keywords=omeros">Omeros</a> by Derek Walcott</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Town-David-Burnett/dp/0771017812/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507550641&sr=1-6&keywords=town+burnett">Town</a> by David Burnett</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hardest-Ride-Gordon-L-Rottman-ebook/dp/B00H3U408S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1507638899&sr=1-1&keywords=hardest+ride">The Hardest Ride</a> by Gordon L. Rottman</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alif-Unseen-G-Willow-Wilson-ebook/dp/B005V2DU3G/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507979043&sr=1-1&keywords=alif">Alif the Unseen</a> by G. Willow Wilson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bid-Fortune-Dr-Nikolas-Vendetta-ebook/dp/B0082VLGHU/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1508083292&sr=1-2&keywords=bid+for+fortune">A Bid for Fortune or Dr. Nikola's Vendetta</a> by Guy Boothby</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Origins-Totalitarianism-Harvest-Book-Hb244-ebook/dp/B004Q9TLJW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1508513263&sr=1-1&keywords=arendt+origins">The Origins of Totalitarianism</a> by Hannah Arendt</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alfred-Maurer-At-Vanguard-Modernism/dp/0300207808/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1508063522&sr=1-1&keywords=maurer+vanguard">Alfred Maurer: At the Vanguard of Modernism</a> by Stacey Epstein</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Essential-Guide-Years/dp/1405914009/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509018108&sr=1-1&keywords=dr.+who+50">Doctor Who: Essential Guide to 50 Years of Doctor Who</a> by Various</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wait-Till-You-See-Dance-ebook/dp/B01LXT28RJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509301415&sr=1-1&keywords=wait+until+you+see+me+dance">Wait Till You See Me Dance</a> by Deb Olin Unferth</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Modern-African-Stories-Charles-Larson/dp/0006128084/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509545625&sr=1-1&keywords=modern+african+stories+larson">Modern African Stories</a> by Charles R. Larson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Wordsworth-Library-5-Jan-1994-Paperback/dp/B011T723DE/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509617799&sr=1-6&keywords=complete+poems+john+keats+wordsworth" target="_blank">The Complete Poems of John Keats</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Cons-Yuri-Herrera-ebook/dp/B01N23HM6H/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509707213&sr=1-1&keywords=kingdom+cons">Kingdom Cons</a> by Yuri Herrera</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Story-Brief-Marriage-Anuk-Arudpragasam-ebook/dp/B01DTT5TMC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509625450&sr=1-1&keywords=brief+marriage">Story of a Brief Marriage</a> by Anuk Arudpragasam</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Assassination-Jesse-James-Coward-Robert-ebook/dp/B00COWLZ1K/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509964606&sr=1-1&keywords=coward+robert+ford">The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford</a> by Ron Hansen</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Under-Volcano-Malcolm-Lowry-ebook/dp/B005FNIXYM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1510596641&sr=1-1&keywords=under+the+volcano">Under the Volcano</a> by Malcolm Lowry</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Book-Contemporary-Chinese-Fiction/dp/0375700935/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1510596731&sr=1-1&keywords=contemporary+chinese+fiction">The Vintage Book of Contemporary Chinese Fiction</a> ed. Carolyn Choa and David Su Li-Qun</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Matisse-Morocco-Paintings-Drawings-1912-1913/dp/0894681400/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511004831&sr=1-2&keywords=matisse+in+morocco&dpID=51B5ikDMTNL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch">Matisse in Morocco: Paintings & Drawings, 1912-1913</a> by Pierre Schneider and John Elderfield</li>
<li><a href="https://tor-labs.com/steal-the-stars/" target="_blank">Steal the Stars Podcast</a> by Mac Rogers</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Beach-Novel-Jennifer-Egan/dp/1476716730/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511748844&sr=1-1&keywords=manhattan+beach+jennifer+egan">Manhattan Beach</a> by Jennifer Egan</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Before-We-Visit-Goddess-Novel/dp/1476792011/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511748899&sr=1-5&keywords=goddess">Before We Visit the Goddess</a> by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Personal-Matter-Kenzaburo-O%C3%AB/dp/0802150616/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1512303782&sr=1-1&keywords=personal+matter">A Personal Matter</a> by Kenzaburo Oë</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Traveler-Moonlight-Antal-Szerb/dp/149178928X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1512304190&sr=1-1&keywords=traveler+and+the+moonlight">Traveler and the Moonlight</a> by Antal Szerb</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Housekeeper-Professor-Yoko-Ogawa/dp/0312427808/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1512303965&sr=1-6&keywords=and+the+professor">The Housekeeper and the Professor</a> by Yoko Ogawa</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Inch-Golden-Lotus-Story-Twist-ebook/dp/B002I61CII/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1512594641&sr=1-2&keywords=3+inch+golden+lotus">Three-Inch Golden Lotus: An Old Story with a Twist</a> by Shouhua Qi</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Inverting-Pyramid-History-Soccer-Tactics/dp/1568587384/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513079252&sr=1-1&keywords=inverting+the+pyramid">Inverting The Pyramid: The History of Soccer Tactics</a> by Jonathan Wilson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Harry-Quebert-Affair/dp/0143126687/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513108825&sr=1-2&keywords=dicker">The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair</a> by Joel Dicker</li>
<li><a href="https://stownpodcast.org/" target="_blank">S-Town Podcast</a> by Brian Reed</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hockneys-Portraits-People-Marco-Livingstone/dp/0500292345/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513349497&sr=1-1&keywords=hockney+portraits">Hockney's Portraits and People</a> by Marco Livingstone and <span class="contribution" spacing="none" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="a-color-secondary" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(85 , 85 , 85);"></span></span><span class="author notFaded" data-width="" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Kay Haymer </span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Diary-Madman-Other-Stories-Xun-ebook/dp/B00TJEWMSG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1513698313&sr=1-1&keywords=lu+xun+diary">Diary of a Madman and Other Stories</a> by Lu Xun</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Moving-Kings-Novel-Joshua-Cohen/dp/0399590188/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513869907&sr=1-1&keywords=moving+kings">Moving Kings</a> by Joshua Cohen</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Death-Venice-Thomas-Mann-ebook/dp/B002LE8MA8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1513913773&sr=1-1&keywords=death+in+venice">Death in Venice</a> by Thomas Mann</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Color-Purple-Alice-Walker/dp/0156028352/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514154156&sr=1-1&keywords=color+purple">The Color Purple</a> by Alice Walker</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grendel-Devil-Quest-Matt-Wagner/dp/1593078889/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514293450&sr=1-2&keywords=devils+quest">Grendel: Devil Quest</a> by Matt Wagner</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bletchley-Park-Archives-Sinclair-McKay/dp/1781315345/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514293477&sr=1-1&keywords=bletchley+park">Bletchley Park: The Secret Archives</a> by Sinclair McKay</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bletchley-Girls-secrecy-women-their-ebook/dp/B00NLJKNW2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514646704&sr=1-1&keywords=bletchley+park+girls">The Bletchley Girls: War, secrecy, love and loss: the women of Bletchley Park tell their story</a> by Tessa Dunlop </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/World-Without-Whom-Essential-Language/dp/1632867575/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514646733&sr=1-1&keywords=world+without+whom">A World Without "Whom": The Essential Guide to Language in the BuzzFeed Age</a> by Emmy J. Favilla</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trash-Market-Tadao-Tsuge/dp/1770461744/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514646822&sr=8-1&keywords=trash+market">Trash Market</a> by Tadao Tsuge</li>
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Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-7346451888363337032016-01-13T09:18:00.000-05:002018-11-28T14:15:24.056-05:00Reading List: 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm going to be continuing to blog on <a href="http://blog.learningtree.com/category/communication-2/" target="_blank">communication-related</a> and <a href="http://blog.learningtree.com/tag/user-interface/" target="_blank">user interface design</a> topics for Learning Tree International. Because I worry about "conflict of interest" kinds of things, I'll be shuttering this blog on communication topics until Learning Tree realizes that I'm not worth spending money on.
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Reading or read:
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<li><a href="http://www.foliosociety.com/book/FLK/folk-tales-of-britain-legends">Folk Tales of Britain: Legends</a> by Katharine M. Briggs</li>
<li><div class="a-row a-spacing-none">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Folk-tales-Britain-Narratives-III/dp/B00AFULFAE/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1472871064&sr=1-2&keywords=folk+tales+briggs">Folk tales of Britain: Narratives</a> by Katharine M. Briggs </div>
</li>
<li><div class="a-row a-spacing-none">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hummingbirds-Daughter-Luis-Alberto-Urrea/dp/0316154520/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452694198&sr=8-1&keywords=hummingbird%27s+daughter">The Hummingbird's Daughter</a> by Luis Alberto Urrea</div>
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tear-This-Heart-Angeles-Mastretta/dp/1573226025/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452694238&sr=1-1&keywords=tear+out+my+heart+in+books">Tear This Heart Out</a> by Angeles Mastretta</li>
<li><a class="a-link-normal s-access-detail-page a-text-normal" href="http://www.amazon.com/Edge-Storm-Novel-Texas-American-ebook/dp/B00EUKDEI6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457045319&sr=1-1&keywords=the+edge+of+the+storm" title="The Edge of the Storm: A Novel (Texas Pan American)">The Edge of the Storm</a><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"> by </span><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">Agustín Yanez</span><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Lamentations-Classic-20th-Century-Penguin/dp/014118003X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456059482&sr=1-1&keywords=book+of+lamentations">The Book of Lamentations </a>by Rosario Castellanos</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Search-Klingsor-International-Bestselling-Novel/dp/1416575138/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458937152&sr=1-1&keywords=in+search+of+klingsor">In Search of Klingsor</a> by Jorge Volpi</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sudden-Death-Novel-%C3%81lvaro-Enrigue-ebook/dp/B00XIYGDCY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1465562331&sr=1-1&keywords=sudden+death">Sudden Death</a> by Alvaro <span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">Enrigue</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Record-Buddhistic-kingdoms-D-discipline-ebook/dp/B0082YW6TY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1469633114&sr=1-1&keywords=Fa-hsien">A Record of Buddhistic kingdoms: Being an account by the Chinese monk Fa-hsien of travels in India and Ceylon... </a>by Fa-hsien</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Argonautica-Apollonius-Rhodes-ebook/dp/B0190XVNGM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1462711739&sr=8-2&keywords=argonautica">The Argonautica</a> by Apollonius of Rhodes</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Before-HEIKE-After-HOGEN-JOKYUKI-ebook/dp/B00ABOE3D0/ref=la_B001H6IPFS_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482874471&sr=1-6">Before Heike and After: Hogen, Heiji, Jo</a>kyuki by Royall Tyler</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Count-Lucanor-pleasant-stories-Patronio-ebook/dp/B00H8X7XCU/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1462242159&sr=1-4&keywords=lucanor">Count Lucanor; or, The fifty pleasant stories of Patronio</a> by Juan Manuel Infante of Castile</li>
<li><a class="a-link-normal s-access-detail-page a-text-normal" href="https://www.amazon.com/Utopia-Sir-Saint-Thomas-More-ebook/dp/B0082YW4NM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466352437&sr=1-1&keywords=utopia" title="Utopia">Utopia</a> <span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">by </span><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">Sir Saint Thomas More</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Anna-Five-Towns-Arnold-Bennett-ebook/dp/B004UJ1UR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1472870917&sr=1-1&keywords=anna+of+the+five+towns">Anna of the Five Towns</a> <span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">by </span><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"><span style="color: black;">Arnold Bennett</span></span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Carmilla-Unabridged-Start-Publishing-LLC-ebook/dp/B00B597YLI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474746631&sr=1-1&keywords=carmilla">Carmilla</a><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"> by Joseph Sheridan </span><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">Le Fanu</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nightmare-Abbey-Thomas-Love-Peacock-ebook/dp/B00847SKDK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1472337413&sr=1-1&keywords=nightmare+abbey">Nightmare Abbey</a> <span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">by </span><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"><span style="color: black;">Thomas Love Peacock</span></span></li>
<li><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scaramouche-Rafael-Sabatini-ebook/dp/B00IJKQ5FM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1460122234&sr=1-1&keywords=scaramouche">Scaramouche</a> by Rafael Sabatini</li>
<li><a href="http://librivox.org/dead-souls-by-gogol-trans-hogarth/">Dead Souls</a> by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Oblomov-Ivan-Goncharov/dp/1512329959/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467555010&sr=1-2&keywords=oblomov">Oblomov</a> <span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">by </span><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">Ivan Goncharov</span></li>
<li><a class="a-link-normal s-access-detail-page a-text-normal" href="https://www.amazon.com/Cranford-Elizabeth-Cleghorn-Gaskell-ebook/dp/B0083ZEYHO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470809888&sr=1-1&keywords=cranford" title="Cranford">Cranford</a> <span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">by </span><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell</span></li>
<li><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/rebours-English-J--K-Joris-Karl-Huysmans-ebook/dp/B00AQN1MRQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1453811361&sr=1-4&keywords=rebours+huysmans">A rebours</a> by Joris-Karl Huysmans</li>
<li><a href="http://librivox.org/salammbo-by-gustave-flaubert/">Salammbô</a> by Gustave Flaubert</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Temptation-Saint-Anthony-Biographical-Introduction-ebook/dp/B005WX7LF2/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466441049&sr=1-3&keywords=flaubert+anthony">The Temptation of Saint Anthony</a> by Gustave Flaubert</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bouvard-P%C3%A9cuchet-Tragi-comic-Novel-Bourgeois-ebook/dp/B004TQ0BF0/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1467393559&sr=8-10&keywords=flaubert">Bouvard and Pécuchet A Tragi-comic Novel of Bourgeois Life</a> by Gustave Flaubert</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Indiana-Oxford-Worlds-Classics-George/dp/B005X3S9XO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470571261&sr=1-1&keywords=indiana+sand">Indiana</a> by George Sand </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Way-All-Flesh-Samuel-Butler-ebook/dp/B0082XOBCA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475965729&sr=1-1&keywords=samuel+butler+the+way+of+all+flesh">The Way of All Flesh</a> <span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">by </span><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"><span style="color: black;">Samuel Butler</span></span></li>
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</li>
<li><div class="a-row a-spacing-none">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ron-Mueck-Robert-Storr/dp/0500970564/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460816879&sr=8-1&keywords=ron+mueck">Ron Mueck</a> by <span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">Robert Storr and </span><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">Justin Paton</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="a-row a-spacing-none">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Ground-point-MIT-Press/dp/0262027089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460816652&sr=8-1&keywords=book+from+the+ground">Book from the Ground: from point to point</a>/<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-about-Bings-Ground-Press/dp/0262027429/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1460816652&sr=8-2&keywords=book+from+the+ground">The Book about Xu Bing's Book from the Ground </a><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"><span style="color: black;"> by Bing Xu / <span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">Mathieu Borysevicz</span><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">by</span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="a-row a-spacing-none">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-South-Ogden-Museum-Southern/dp/1857593251/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1465069525&sr=1-1&keywords=southern+art+ogden">Art of the South: The Ogden Museum of Southern Art</a> by David Houston</div>
</li>
<li><div class="a-row a-spacing-none">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/National-Gallery-Art-Washington-Masterpieces/dp/0810903369/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1465653323&sr=8-7&keywords=national+museum+art">National Gallery of Art, Washington</a>
<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">by </span><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">John Walker</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-85845388603459243502014-10-12T10:22:00.000-04:002018-11-28T14:21:02.380-05:00Reading List: October 2014, 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm going to be blogging on communication and user interface topics for Learning Tree International, at least for the immediate short term. Because I worry about "conflict of interest" kinds of things, I'll be shuttering this blog on communication topics until either (a) I come up with an obviously different set of topics for this blog, or (b) Learning Tree realizes that I'm not worth spending money on.<br />
<br />
You can find my communication stuff intermixed with the other <a href="http://blog.learningtree.com/category/communication-2/" target="_blank">communication-related posts</a> on the Learning Tree Blog.<br />
<br />
Reading or read (October, 2014 - December, 2015):<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Statutory-Interpretation-Carolina-Academic/dp/1611634563/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421941388&sr=1-1&keywords=mastering+statutory+interpretation&pebp=1421941389526&peasin=1611634563">Mastering Statutory Interpretation</a> by Linda D. Jellum</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Domesday-years-Englands-Norman-heritage/dp/0946171491/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446584581&sr=1-1&keywords=domesday+900">Domesday: 900 years of England's Norman Heritage</a></div>
</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Maya-New-Perspectives/dp/0393328902/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437261454&sr=1-1&keywords=the+ancient+maya%3A+new">The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives</a> by Heather McKillop</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Hollow-City-Peregrines-Peculiar-Children-ebook/dp/B009Y3ON4I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412115717&sr=1-1&keywords=hollow+city">Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children</a> by Ransom Riggs</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Fault-Our-Stars-John-Green-ebook/dp/B005ZOBNOI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1423944271&sr=1-1&keywords=the+fault+in+our+stars">The Fault in Our Stars</a> by John Green</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Collected-Ancient-Greek-Novels-Reardon/dp/0520256557/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412115755&sr=1-1&keywords=collected+greek+novels">Collected Ancient Greek Novels</a> by B. P. Reardon and J. R. Morgan</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Saga-Volsungs-Translation-Norna-Gest-Legendary-ebook/dp/B00BGRCK7W/ref=sr_1_9?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446573839&sr=1-9&keywords=volsung+saga">The Saga of the Volsungs</a> </li>
<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"><b></b></span>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Drosilla-Charikles-Byzantine-Niketas-Eugenianos/dp/086516536X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415046145&sr=1-3&keywords=three+greek+romances+gavin+betts">Drosilla and Charikles: A Byzantine Novel</a> by Niketas Eugenianos</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reynard-Fox-Classic-Reprint-Evans/dp/133181362X/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443175961&sr=1-8&keywords=reynard+the+fox" target="_blank">Reynard the Fox </a>(William Caxton, translator)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Glorious-Adventures-Ulenspiegel-Flanders-elsewhere-ebook/dp/B005UFP54Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449063414&sr=1-2&keywords=the+legend+of+ulenspiegel">The Legend of the Glorious Adventures of Tyl Ulenspiegel in the land of Flanders and Elsewhere</a> by Charles Théodore Henri de Coster<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span></li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Underdogs-Mexican-Revolution-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143105272/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417696734&sr=1-3&keywords=underdogs">The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution</a> by Mariano Azuela</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Mangy-Parrot-Periquillo-Sarniento-Children/dp/0872207358/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425209382&sr=1-1&keywords=mangy+parrot">The Mangy Parrot: The Life and Times of Periquillo Sarniento, Written by Himself for His Children</a> by Jose Joaquin Fernandez De Lizardi</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wounds-Hunger-Conrad-Barnaby-Spota/dp/B002C92P8M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1440466838&sr=1-1&keywords=Wounds+of+hunger">The Wounds of Hunger</a> by Luis Spota</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pedro-Paramo-Juan-Rulfo/dp/0802133908/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1440466902&sr=1-1&keywords=pedro+paramo">Pedro Paramo</a> by Juan Rulfo</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Medicine-Man-Francisco-Rojas-Gonzalez/dp/1891270079/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1440467014&sr=1-1&keywords=the+medicine+man+gonzalez">The Medicine Man</a> by Francisco Rojas Gonzalez</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.ca/Lais-Marie-France/dp/0140447598/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436526939&sr=8-1&keywords=marie+de+france">The Lais of Marie de France</a></li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Cleves-Norton-Critical-Editions/dp/0393963330/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425425719&sr=1-1&keywords=princess+of+cleves">The Princess of Cleves </a>by Madame de La Fayette</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Blas-Alain-Rene-Sage/dp/143410267X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433258427&sr=1-3&keywords=gil+blas">The Adventures of Gil Blas</a> by Alain Rene Le Sage</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Manon-Lescaut-Abbe-Prevost-ebook/dp/B002ZJSUI8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424349447&sr=1-1&keywords=manon+lescaut+penguin">Manon Lescaut</a> by Abbe Prevost</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Jean-Jacques-Rousseau-Thrift-Editions-ebook/dp/B00KI6ROAU/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427195754&sr=1-5&keywords=rousseau+confessions">The Confessions</a> by Jean-Jacques Rousseau</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Golden-Eyes-Honore-Balzac/dp/0786705612/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425615021&sr=1-6&keywords=the+girl+with+the+golden+eyes">The Girl With the Golden Eyes</a> by Honore de Balzac</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Germinal-Penguin-Classics-%C3%89mile-Zola-ebook/dp/B002XHNN70/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431786341&sr=1-1&keywords=germinal">Germinal</a> by Zola</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Sentimental-Education-Barnes-Noble-Classics/dp/1593083068/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426529732&sr=1-1&keywords=sentimental+education+barnes">Sentimental Education </a>by Gustave Flaubert</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.ca/Three-Tales-Gustave-Flaubert/dp/0140448004/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436527024&sr=1-2&keywords=three+flaubert">Three Tales</a> by Gustave Flaubert</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Bel-Ami-Oxford-Worlds-Classics-Maupassant-ebook/dp/B006UQ967Q/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437261027&sr=1-5&keywords=bel+ami">Bel-Ami </a>by Guy de Maupassant</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Pierre-Jean-Penguin-Classics-Maupassant/dp/0140443584/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437827873&sr=8-1&keywords=pierre+and+jean">Pierre and Jean </a>by Guy de Maupassant</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Penguin-Island-preface-Drawings-Cameron/dp/B00BSK99WQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430571677&sr=1-3&keywords=penguin+island">Penguin Island</a> by Anatole France</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Century-Blood-Others-Twentieth-Classics/dp/0140183337/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426036628&sr=1-5&keywords=blood+beauvoir">Blood Of Others</a> by Simone De Beauvoir</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-Hadrian-Classics-Marguerite-Yourcenar/dp/0374529264/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421941225&sr=1-1&keywords=memoirs+of+hadrian&pebp=1421941226506&peasin=374529264">Memoirs of Hadrian </a>by Marguerite Yourcenar </li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Nausea-Directions-Paperbook-Jean-Paul-Sartre/dp/0811201880/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421941243&sr=1-2&keywords=nausea+sartre">Nausea </a>by Jean-Paul Sartre </li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Albert-Camus/dp/0679720200/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417315799&sr=1-1&keywords=stranger+camus">The Stranger</a> by Albert Camus </li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Lovers-Discourse-Fragments-Roland-Barthes/dp/0374532311/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417696868&sr=1-1&keywords=a+lover%27s+discourse">A Lover's Discourse: Fragments</a> by Roland Barthes</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Voyeur-Alain-Robbe-Grillet/dp/0802131654/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424988595&sr=1-1&keywords=the+voyeur">The Voyeur</a> by Alain Robbe-Grillet</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Lover-Marguerite-Duras/dp/0375700528/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419422802&sr=1-1&keywords=the+lover+duras">The Lover</a> by Marguerite Duras</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Suspended-Sentences-Novellas-Margellos-Republic-ebook/dp/B00OBL1L84/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428664507&sr=1-1&keywords=suspended+sentences">Suspended Sentences: Three Novellas</a> by Patrick Modiano </li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Three-Strong-Women-Marie-NDiaye-ebook/dp/B0078XCRV2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424988564&sr=1-1&keywords=three+strong+women">Three Strong Women</a> by Marie NDiaye </li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/This-Nights-Foul-Commissaire-Adamsberg-ebook/dp/B005FY5ZQA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437261089&sr=1-1&keywords=foul+night%27s+work">This Night's Foul Work </a>by Fred Vargas</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Red-Notebook-Antoine-Laurain-ebook/dp/B00TNTA734/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437521106&sr=1-1&keywords=red+notebook">The Red Notebook</a> by Antoine Laurain </li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Mahabharata-Penguin-Classics-Anonymus/dp/0140446818/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431786247&sr=1-1&keywords=mahabharata">The Mahabharata </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kadambari-Bana-ebook/dp/B00AQMJC5Q/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444697435&sr=1-12&keywords=bana">The Kadambari</a> by Bana</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nautch-Girl-Novel-Hasan-Shah/dp/8120713885/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444697584&sr=1-3&keywords=the+nautch+girl">The Nautch Girl</a> by Hasan Shah<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span></li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/UMRAO-JAN-ADA-COURTESAN-LUCKNOW/dp/8122203930/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1438077577&sr=1-2&keywords=courtesan+lucknow">Umrao Jan Ada: The Courtesan Of Lucknow</a> by Ruswa</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nectar-Signet-Classics-Kamala-Markandaya/dp/0451531728/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441717987&sr=1-1&keywords=nectar+in+a+sieve">Nectar in a Sieve</a> by Kamala Markandaya</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Indian-Novel-Shashi-Tharoor/dp/1611453186/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449614770&sr=8-1&keywords=the+great+indian+novel">The Great Indian Novel </a>by Shashi Tharoor</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Delhi-Novel-Khushwant-Singh-ebook/dp/B00977MRTE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450671323&sr=1-1&keywords=delhi+singh">Delhi: A Novel</a> by Khushwant Singh</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Inheritance-Loss-Kiran-Desai-ebook/dp/B008UX8DIU/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450018570&sr=1-10&keywords=anita+desai">The Inheritance of Loss</a> by Kiran Desai </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pathfinder-inland-James-Fenimore-Cooper-ebook/dp/B0082UJZWO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446573342&sr=1-1&keywords=pathfinder+cooper">Pathfinder, or The Inland Sea</a> by James Fenimore Cooper<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/U-S-Parallel-Money-Library-America/dp/1883011140/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1440466571&sr=1-1&keywords=usa+dos+passos&pebp=1440466573824&perid=17RN4ABHEKNEETAMDXK0">U.S.A.: The 42nd Parallel/1919/The Big Money</a> by John Dos Passos</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/American-Tragedy-Theodore-Dreiser/dp/B007CILH8C/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437261321&sr=1-2&keywords=an+american+tragedy">American Tragedy</a> by Theodore Dreiser</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Let-Now-Praise-Famous-Men-ebook/dp/B00DKNDFXI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437261259&sr=1-1&keywords=let+us+now+praise">Let Us Now Praise Famous Men</a> by Walker Evans and James Agee</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Honored-Guest-Vintage-Contemporaries-Williams-ebook/dp/B0040GJE0W/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447937296&sr=1-4&keywords=joy+williams">Honored Guest</a> by Joy Williams</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Then-We-Came-End-Novel/dp/031601639X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417696558&sr=1-1&keywords=and+then+we+came+to+the+end">Then We Came to the End</a> by Joshua Ferris</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Laughing-Monsters-Denis-Johnson-ebook/dp/B00JOH5O56/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437261123&sr=1-1&keywords=laughing+monsters">The Laughing Monsters</a> by Denis Johnson</div>
</div>
</li>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Life-Novel-Hanya-Yanagihara-ebook/dp/B00N6PCZO0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1440467536&sr=1-1&keywords=a+little+life">A Little Life</a> by Hanya Yanagihara</div>
</li>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://serialpodcast.org/">Serial</a> by Sarah Koenig</div>
</div>
</li>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Prime-Minister-Penguin-Classics-ebook/dp/B002RI9K9U/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432766891&sr=1-1&keywords=trollope+prime+minister">The Prime Minister</a> by Anthony Trollope </div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jude-Obscure-Illustrated-Thomas-Hardy-ebook/dp/B00LT9HTE6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450671239&sr=1-1&keywords=jude+the+obscure">Jude The Obscure</a> by Thomas Hardy<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span></div>
</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Flower-Novel-Penelope-Fitzgerald/dp/0544359453/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417696707&sr=1-3&keywords=penelope+fitzgerald">The Blue Flower</a> by Penelope Fitzgerald</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Buried-Giant-novel-Kazuo-Ishiguro-ebook/dp/B00N6PCXME/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447157717&sr=1-1&keywords=the+sleeping+giant">The Buried Giant</a> by Kazuo Ishiguro<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tay-John-Howard-OHagan/dp/0771093926/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447157657&sr=1-1&keywords=tay+john">Tay John</a> by Howard O'Hagan<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span></li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Swamp-Angel-New-Canadian-Library-ebook/dp/B003U2TFGA/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1438218814&sr=1-7&keywords=swamp+angel">Swamp Angel </a>by Ethel Wilson</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kamouraska-List-Anne-H%C3%A9bert-ebook/dp/B00IN8P1TG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447157852&sr=1-1&keywords=Kamouraska">Kamouraska</a> by Anne Hébert</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Double-Hook-New-Canadian-Library-ebook/dp/B004HW6GKU/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1440604847&sr=1-3&keywords=double+hook">The Double Hook</a> by Sheila Watson</li>
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<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Grendel-Devils-Reign-Graphic-Novels/dp/1595822518/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438257964&sr=8-1&keywords=devil%27s+reign+wagner">Grendel: Devil's Reign</a> by Matt Wagner</div>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ramayana-Divine-Loophole-Sanjay-Patel/dp/081187107X/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1445602018&sr=1-5&keywords=ramayana">Ramayana: Divine Loophole</a> by Sanjay Patel<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span></div>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/M-R-S-Patrol-Total-War/dp/1593072627/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1438257267&sr=1-1&keywords=total+war+wood+mars+patrol">M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War</a> by Wally Wood</div>
</div>
</li>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/All-You-Need-Kill-manga/dp/1421576015/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420289691&sr=1-1&keywords=all+you+need+is+kill">All You Need is Kill</a> by Hiroshi Sakurazaka</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Overture-Deluxe-November-Hardcover/dp/B014S3YYZ6/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451660531&sr=1-2&keywords=sandman+overture">The Sandman: Overture</a> by Neil Gaiman<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span></span></div>
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</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rabbis-Cat-Joann-Sfar/dp/0375714642/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443881925&sr=1-1&keywords=rabbi%27s+cat">The Rabbi's Cat</a> by Joann Sfar</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Criminals-Vol-Fraction-Paperback/dp/B00YDJBKZI/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1445170054&sr=1-2&keywords=sex+criminals+weird+trick">Sex Criminals, Vol. 1: One Weird Trick</a> by Matt Fraction
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Anyas-Ghost-Vera-Brosgol-ebook/dp/B00CNTSVA2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444906491&sr=1-1&keywords=anya%27s+ghost">Anya's Ghost</a> by Vera Brosgol</div>
</li>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unterzakhn-Leela-Corman-ebook/dp/B0067AC2HQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444906591&sr=1-1&keywords=unterzakhn">Unterzakhn</a> by Leela Corman<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span></div>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/This-One-Summer-Mariko-Tamaki-ebook/dp/B00JWUUPPO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427195656&sr=1-1&keywords=this+one+summer">This One Summer</a> by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki</div>
</div>
</li>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Fatherland-Nina-Bunjevac-ebook/dp/B00N45JYLY/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427232158&sr=1-3&keywords=fatherland">Fatherland</a> by Nina Bunjevac</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Life-Philippe-Otie/dp/1906838550/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451217140&sr=1-1&keywords=a+chinese+life">A Chinese Life</a> by Li Kunwu<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary"></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Trillium-Vol-1-Jeff-Lemire-ebook/dp/B00KRKITXI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428364388&sr=1-1&keywords=trillium">Trillium </a>by Jeff Lemire</div>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150803015235/http://www.amazon.com/Vixens-Vamps-Vipers-Villainesses-Golden/dp/193525927X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420289659&sr=1-1&keywords=vamps+vixens">Vixens, Vamps & Vipers: Lost Villainesses of Golden Age Comics</a> by Mike Madrid</div>
</li>
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</div>
</ul>
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</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-59635213666423423852014-09-06T11:37:00.002-04:002014-09-06T11:37:36.436-04:00Terms of Multitudes, Or It's only strange if someone else does it<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For the last (many) years, I've been reading my way through Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. I just ran across the listing for terms to be applied to groups of things: My favourite is a "shrewdness of apes" (though, an "exaltation of larks" is still pretty good).<br />
<br />
Initially, of course, these terms strike a modern reader as distinctly odd. I suppose these terms are a remnant of old counting systems that didn't go much beyond two (e.g. "one", "two", "many") and the natural extension of those counting system to give every number a unique name (e.g. "dozen" for 12).<br />
<br />
But, of course, these terms aren't really all that unusual: We just don't notice the ones we use automatically. We all, I suspect, refer to a "herd" of cattle, a "team" of baseball players. And we do all still retain "pair" for 2 along with "dozen" for 12.<br />
<br />
It seems to me that this is the essence of effective technical writing: reducing oddness to familiarity. The goal is always to climb inside the mind of the audience. A great part of that has to mean not regarding the audience as <i>particularly</i> odd (no odder than you and I are, for instance).<br />
<br />
I've tried to take this to the logical next step: Whenever I'm reading about some culture foreign to me and I run across some practice that seems bizarre to me, I try to come up with some analogous activity in my culture that seems perfectly natural. This practice has a couple of interesting results. First, it's surprising how little time it takes for me to find an analogy in my culture for something that, initially, seemed foreign or bizarre. Second, it helps me see that other culture as being as human/normal/natural as my culture (sort of my version of "I am human and, therefore, nothing human is foreign to me"). What I like best is that it helps me see my culture with fresh eyes, as something full of odd things.<br />
<br />
Where and how we live isn't just the "same old, same old": it's really quite special. We've just gotten used to it and don't notice its special wonderfulness.<br />
<br />
My reading or read<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Friend-Dahmer-Derf-Backderf/dp/1419702173/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406848772&sr=1-1&keywords=my+friend+dahmer"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Friend-Dahmer-Derf-Backderf/dp/1419702173/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406848772&sr=1-1&keywords=my+friend+dahmer">My Friend Dahmer</a> by Derf Backderf</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Greek-Poets-Homer-Present/dp/0393060837/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406848872&sr=1-3&keywords=greek+poetry">The Greek Poets: Homer to the Present</a> by Peter Constantine</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Twentieth-Century-Indian-Poets/dp/B00442FXRA/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406848899&sr=1-2&keywords=ten+twentieth+century+indian+poets">Ten Twentieth Century Indian Poets</a> by R Ed Parthanasarathy</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Harlot-High-Low-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140442324/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406848917&sr=1-1&keywords=harlot+high+and+low">A Harlot High and Low</a> by Honoré de Balzac</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kanthapura-New-Directions-Paperbook-Raja/dp/0811201686/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409404738&sr=1-1&keywords=raja+rao">Kanthapura</a> by Raja Rao</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heat-Wave-Nikki-Richard-Castle/dp/1401323820/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409404438&sr=1-3&keywords=richard+castle">Heat Wave</a> by Richard Castle</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Satanic-Verses-Novel-Salman-Rushdie/dp/0812976711/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407599189&sr=1-1&keywords=satanic+verses">The Satanic Verses: A Novel</a> by Salman Rushdie</li>
<li><a href="http://librivox.org/phineas-redux-by-anthony-trollope/">Phineas Redux</a> by Anthony Trollope</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Pachter-Canadian-Painter/dp/0771069251/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408243479&sr=1-3&keywords=charles+pachter">Charles Pachter: Canadian Painter</a> by Charles Pachter</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Mystery-Theatre-Face-Brute/dp/B006U1OO5U/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409177561&sr=1-1&keywords=sandman+mystery+theatre+face+brute">Sandman Mystery Theatre: The Face And The Brute</a> by Matt Wagner</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Mystery-Theatre-Book-Phantom/dp/1401221394/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=1-1&keywords=sandman+mystery+theatre+mist">Sandman Mystery Theatre: The Mist & the Phantom of the Fair</a> by Matt Wagner</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Woodwork-Wallace-1927-1981-English-Spanish/dp/1613772920/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=1-1&keywords=woodwork+wallace">Woodwork: Wallace Wood 1927-1981</a> by Frederic Manzano</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miracleman-Book-1-Dream-Flying/dp/0785154620/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409404670&sr=1-1&keywords=miracleman">Miracleman Book 1: A Dream of Flying</a> by The Original Writer</li>
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-64769334633677467692014-07-21T08:21:00.000-04:002014-07-21T08:21:07.671-04:00Empathy Everywhere, Or Why Technical Writers Rule<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The key skill for a technical writer is empathy: The ability to see the world from the reader's (or readers') point of view. Empathy doesn't mean agreeing with the reader, it merely means understanding and appreciating why the reader feels that way. You know you've achieved empathy when you can honestly say "I can see why you think I'm a complete jerk about this" (note: You don't have to think that you're a complete jerk).<br />
<br />
What I think is so cool about this is that empathy is also the core skill in so many other fields. I've recently being thinking a lot about User Interface/User Experience design because I've been revamping an application for a client and writing <a href="http://www.learningtree.ca/courses/1802/ui-ux-optimized-software-design/" target="_blank">a course on the topic</a>. Empathy--the ability to see the problem domain/application from the user's point of view is critical to success in UI/UX design. I also spend a good deal of my life in negotiations (I'm a married man). Successful negotiation depends entirely on your ability to see the world as the person you're negotiating with sees it.<br />
<br />
Of course, terminology changes. In UI/UX design we talk about "personas" (rather than "audiences") and "user stories" (rather than "scenarios") but, essentially, it's all about figuring out what matters to the user and using that to drive the design process. In negotiating we talk about "options" (what we'll present to the other person and what we ask the other person to offer to us) but, again, it's essential that we offer options that are attractive to that other person, that support their purpose in entering the negotiation and help them achieve their goals. In negotiation we don't talk about "explaining things" (the essence of technical writing, in many ways) but we do need to make it clear to the other person what is important to us so that the other person will make us an offer worth considering.<br />
<br />
Really, the skills that make a great technical writer are the foundation skills for ruling the world...without anyone actually realizing that's what you're doing, of course.<br />
<br />
Reading or read<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Collected-Stories-Eudora-Welty-ebook/dp/B004H1UOG8/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402825095&sr=1-2&keywords=complete+stories+welty">The Collected Stories</a> by Eudora Welty</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Echo-Maker-Richard-Powers/dp/0312426437/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402825265&sr=1-1&keywords=the+echo+maker">The Echo Maker</a> by Richard Powers</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wildlife-Richard-Ford/dp/0802144594/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404585442&sr=1-1&keywords=wildlife+ford">Wildlife</a> by Richard Ford</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Things-They-Carried-Tim-OBrien/dp/0618706410/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404585504&sr=1-1&keywords=the+things+they+carried">The Things They Carried</a> by Tim O'Brien</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Lunch-Restored-William-Burroughs-ebook/dp/B002W5UV0K/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404585551&sr=1-2&keywords=naked+lunch">Naked Lunch</a> by William Burroughs</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Another-Gravity-Don-McKay/dp/0771057644/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402825196&sr=1-1&keywords=gravity+mckay">Another Gravity</a> by Don McKay</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zuckerman-Bound-Trilogy-Epilogue-1979-1985/dp/1598530119/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405805260&sr=1-1&keywords=zuckerman+bound">Zuckerman Bound: A Trilogy and Epilogue</a> by Philip Roth</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Counterlife-Philip-Roth/dp/0679749047/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405805329&sr=1-1&keywords=roth+counterlife">The Counterlife</a> by Philip Roth</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Exit-Ghost-Vintage-International-Philip/dp/0307387291/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405805348&sr=1-1&keywords=exit+ghost">Exit Ghost</a> by Philip Roth</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cathedral-Raymond-Carver/dp/0679723692/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405805392&sr=1-1&keywords=cathedral">Cathedral</a> by Raymond Carver</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Women-Men-Stories-Richard-Ford/dp/0679776680/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405805417&sr=1-2&keywords=men+with+women">Women with Men </a>by Richard Ford</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Omensetters-Luck-Classic-20th-Century-Penguin/dp/0141180102/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405805440&sr=1-1&keywords=william+gass">Omensetter's Luck </a>by William H. Gass</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gravitys-Rainbow-Penguin-Classics-Deluxe/dp/0143039946/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405805627&sr=1-1&keywords=gravity%27s+rainbow">Gravity's Rainbow</a> by Thomas Pynchon</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Digenis-Akritas-Two-Blood-Border-Lord/dp/082140833X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404904489&sr=1-1&keywords=two-blood+border+lord">Digenis Akritas: Two-Blood Border Lord</a> by Denison B. Hull</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vertigo-Novel-Woodcuts-Dover-History/dp/0486468895/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404944218&sr=1-1&keywords=vertigo+ward">Vertigo: A Novel in Woodcuts</a> by Lynd Ward</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Path-Great-Stephen-Gargilis/dp/B000KBHAUC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405941831&sr=1-1&keywords=the+path+of+the+great+gargilis">The Path of the Great</a> by Stephen Gargilis</li>
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-78086043511167042652014-06-15T05:37:00.001-04:002014-06-15T05:37:51.516-04:00Presenting Performance, or "Tonight, We Improvise!"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In previous posts on creating great presentations, I've mentioned that nothing is more boring than watching someone read from their notes. Here are two other awful "mosts":<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Second most boring: Watching someone recite a memorized presentation</li>
<li>Most agonizing: Watching someone try to recover from an error in the presentation</li>
</ul>
<div>
So, what can you do to avoid these problems? First thing: DON'T MEMORIZE YOUR PRESENTATION. Don't even try.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With a memorized presentation, you stop being engaged with the presentation and are, instead, simply concerned with getting from the current "right" word to the next "right" word. Time spent time memorizing is time spent guaranteeing that you'll turn your audience off by draining all the life out of your presentation.<br />
<br />
Instead of memorizing, rehearse: give your presentation to yourself, over and over again. You can do this by abandoning your notes and your slides and rehearsing without them--this lets you rehearse anywhere. I get a lot of rehearsal time in while driving my car, for instance. Public transit is another good opportunity (don't move your lips, however, or people will think you're odd. Unless you're in New York City. There, you'll fit right in). And recognize that you don't have to rehearse your whole presentation every time: you can rehearse bits of it that you're having trouble with, or the opening bit, or the closing bit, or a bit you really like, or, really, whatever makes sense to you. That means that you can rehearse your presentation while, for example, during TV commercials.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What's great about these situations is that you <i>can't</i> read your notes (especially while driving your car. I find that the honking is <i>really</i> distracting). But it also means that you can start forgetting to do parts of your presentation. So, after doing a couple of rehearsals, you should go back to your slides (or notes) and make sure that you haven't forgotten about some key point that you've started omitting from your presentation.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Secondly, every time you rehearse, don't try to repeat your last performance. Instead, try to do it differently from the last time. Is there some material that you've realized that you want to drop? Try that. Something you'd like to add? Try that. What happens if you change around the order of your material? If you change the emphasis you're putting on the parts of some key sentence?<br />
<br />
For real fun and to gain real insights into your presentation, try giving it like some other person. I find giving my presentation as a tent revivalist preacher often helps me understand how I can make my presentation work better ("Can I get a "YA-YES!"). That presentation style exists for a reason: It works. Try delivering your presentation in a monotone -- that highlights the parts that really do jump out on their own. It's also sort of funny.</div>
<div>
<br />
Every time you rehearse your presentation, you'll come to understand it better and realize what you need to tweak. That tweaking will never stop and, as a result, every rehearsal will be different (though, after a while, you'll notice that your tweaks are getting smaller and smaller because you do get closer to perfection). If you're doing it right, you simply can't rehearse enough.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
When it comes time to give your presentation, it will just be another rehearsal and you'll be fully engaged. You won't do it the way you did it last time <i>but</i> <i>that's OK</i>.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The Biggest Secret in Giving Presentations</h3>
</div>
<div>
The reason it's OK is because of the biggest secret in giving presentations: No one knows what presentation you were going to give. They only know the presentation you actually gave. If you've varied your presentation every time you've rehearsed, you'll find you've actually built up an inventory of stock material that you can use when you come to give your presentation to an audience.<br />
<br />
These blocks of material (I call them "shtick") turn out to be tremendously flexible: you can insert them anywhere in your presentation. I have some shtick that I happily recycle into virtually all of my presentations (provided I'm either giving the presentations to different audiences OR building up a "running gag" with one particular audience).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This means that if you do forget something, it won't be a little thing: It will probably be an entire shtick. But, because you've rehearsed with that shtick in a variety of ways and placed it in a variety of places in your presentation, when you realize that (a) you've skipped some shtick, and (b) that you really can't afford to leave it out, you'll have a ready-made way of integrating that bit into some other part of your presentation. You will never be that guy recovering from a mistake in front of an audience -- you will just be the guy doing yet another version of the presentation.<br />
<br />
I have some standard shtick that I use at the end of a presentation when wrapping up. A friend of mine was walking past a room where I was speaking, heard one of these bits, and thought to himself "Wow, that's great material. And Peter's coming up with it on the fly!" I wasn't, of course, but since I didn't have it memorized, it sounded like I was making it up as I went along: I was saying it slightly differently, putting it in a different order, or doing something different with it. Sadly (for me), my friend discovered the truth when he sat in on a session I was giving later in the day and heard me do very similar material at the end of that session. That gave away my secret, of course: he realized that I was pulling from a stock of shtick that I had built up and that I was just massaging it every time I used it.<br />
<br />
Of course, he wasn't completely wrong with his first impression: To a certain extent, I am making it up as I go along -- I just don't start from scratch.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And, sure, after some speeches or presentations I've sometimes realized that there were things I wanted to say that I'd omitted. But, in the end, that doesn't happen very often and I've never omitted anything important. More importantly: Because no one knows the presentation I was originally going to give, no one knows what I left out.<br />
<br />
As a side benefit, this process makes your presentations more professional. In a class I was taking, for example, we were required to make a presentation that run between 4.5 and 5 minutes--not a big window to hit. But, because of my frequent rehearsals, I knew exactly how long my presentation was going to take. When it was my turn to speak, I stood up, spoke without notes, "made it up as I went along", and took my bow at 4:45, right in the middle of the window.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I've spoken at weddings and funerals and I've never spoken with notes (of course, on these occasions I'm speaking for ten minutes or less). People frequently comment on this but that's only because they haven't followed me around for the prior two weeks. At the start of the process, I did do some planning: I took a first cut at what I wanted to say, stories I wanted to include, and the order I wanted to cover my topics in. But after that initial planning session, whenever I had a chance, I was rehearsing my speech (or parts of it) over and over again, doing it differently every time. The final result has a family resemblance to the original plan...but it's a distant relation.<br />
<br />
More importantly: It's always come out alright at the occasion. Always. And it also gives me room to speak from the heart when I finally stand up to speak. And that, as it turns out, matters more often than you might think.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Reading or read<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Road-Gates-Review-Classics/dp/1590177541/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399547144&sr=1-1&keywords=The+broken+road">The Broken Road: From the Iron Gates to Mount Athos</a> by Patrick Leigh Fermor </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cantos-Ezra-Pound-Directions-Books/dp/0811213269/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399547173&sr=1-1&keywords=pound+cantos">The Cantos</a> by Ezra Pound </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Cantos-Ezra-Pound/dp/0856463051/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399547239&sr=1-5&keywords=pound+cantos">A Guide to the Cantos of Ezra Pound</a> by William Cookson</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Astro-City-Through-Open-Doors/dp/1401247520/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399547121&sr=1-1&keywords=astro+city">Astro City: Through Open Doors</a> by Kurt Busiek</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/IAIN-BAXTER%2526-1958-2011-Alexander-Alberro/dp/0864926464/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399547062&sr=1-1&keywords=iain+baxter%26">IAIN BAXTER& Works 1958-2011</a> by Alexander Alberro</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-Road-Richard-Yates/dp/0375708448/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400328480&sr=1-1&keywords=revolutionary+road">Revolutionary Road</a> by Richard Yates</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Plain-Jane-Joan-Barfoot/dp/0771591578/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400827987&sr=1-1&keywords=plain+jane+barfoot">Plain Jane</a> by Joan Barfoot</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Songbook-Selected-Umberto-Margellos-Republic/dp/0300181752/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400828065&sr=1-1&keywords=songbook+saba+poems">Songbook</a> by Umberto Saba</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Lucy-Christopher/dp/054517094X/ref=la_B0034P6KNE_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402494076&sr=1-1">Stolen</a> by Lucy Christopher</li>
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-70853056790718473872014-05-05T08:27:00.003-04:002014-05-05T08:27:35.211-04:00The Reasons for Reading, Or There are so many readers out there<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I read reviews of books on Amazon.com and often run across reviews that say something like "books should do <em>x</em>" or "great writers do <em>y</em>" or "real literature always has <em>z.</em>" Just to be perverse, rather than look at what a good book <em>should</em> do why don't we come at the problem from the reader's point of view? If we ask why someone reads a book then we should be able to answer the question of what a book should do.<br />
<br />
We read for pleasure, of course, but that pleasure comes in many forms: to laugh, to be moved emotionally, to be thrilled, to be horrified, to be just scared a little. I think that one of the reasons that 'kid's lit' (or Young Adult fiction) is so popular is because it delivers these pleasures in concentrated doses (I'm looking at you, "Hunger Games").<br />
<br />
We also read to gain some insight into a time or place we find interesting. Reading for this reason can work in at least three ways. A book that is written <em>about</em> a time and place will give the reader a view from the author's perspective (and providing that view was probably part of the author's intention in writing the book). People who read historical fiction or books set in Japan are obviously in this category. Much of my fascination with books from India has been the chance to be exposed to life in a foreign country.<br />
<br />
A book is also <em>of</em> its time and expresses that time and place without the author intending to do that. We often read books written years ago to understand what people wanted to write about "back then." So, while Trollope describes the world he lives in as he sees it, Trollope is also a product of his time. As a result, the things that he wants to talk about and the way he talks about them help us understand the time he lived--and I enjoy that. I'm reading "Junky" by William Burroughs at least in part to understand what it was like to be a junkie in New York in the 1950s.<br />
<br />
In addition, a book is also <em>of</em> its time and place because of the way it was received by the readers of its time. Reading the popular literature of a different time or place is often wonderful way of understanding what the people "back then" or "over there" care/cared about. People who read "Victorian literature" or fiction from the pulp magazines of the 30s and 40s (as I do) probably fall into both of these categories: they read for the insight into that time and they read for the pleasures that books at that time delivered to readers. It's certainly the only possible reason I could have for why I'm reading "The Mysteries of Udolpho" by Ann Radcliffe.<br />
<br />
We read to be informed: The reason that I'm slogging the "The UX Book."<br />
<br />
Some people (me, again, as an example) read to see how language can be used. What sort of things do you talk about in a collection called "The Best Gardening Writing of 1992"? How do sports writers write about tennis matches and baseball games? One of the things that I enjoyed about some of the military books that I've read has been the way they are written, as much as the context.Closely related to this is reading to see how writing has changed over time. I've read a number of books that were written decades (or even centuries) ago and enjoyed seeing where my language started from and how it ended up where it is today.<br />
<br />
Sometimes we read to get "behind" writers to the material that affected them and that they draw on. A writer you like refers to some other book as "great" and you go and buy that book. You buy not it not only because you think that book will be a good read but also because it will give you some insight into that writer. The reason that I read three of the Italian epics (the two Orlando books and "Jerusalem Delivered") was because C.S. Lewis spoke well of them.<br />
<br />
Fans of an author (or genre), of course, compulsively search out books because they want to read 'everything' (that's almost the definition of 'a fan'). Readers who want all the books in a particular series of stories often read books for this reason (they often say things like "Oh, I know that book wasn't very good, but I've read everything else."). Others recognize this as a reason for reading and will mention that a book is "for fans only." While in New York, I picked up a copy of William Burrough's "Queer" because I'm reading "Junky", will be reading "Naked Lunch," and "Queer" is sort of the book he wrote in between those books. I've read all of John Gardner's books (including his kid's books and books about writing) because they're all written by John Gardner.<br />
<br />
I suspect this list isn't exhaustive: there's probably lots of reasons that I've missed and I've only picked the ones that I know drive my reading. My wife, for example, will read almost anything as long as she gets to meet interesting people in the book--plot and action are nice but not a necessity. I've read any number of thrillers where characterization was obviously unimportant and plot was everything that mattered.<br />
<br />
So, when someone says "a book should do <em>x</em>" or "good authors don't do <em>y</em>" I don't think that the person writing the review has any idea what they're talking about. In fact, if we looked at all the books that those reviewers have read we'd probably find that they're not even talking about why they read: they probably read lots of books that don't do either <i>x</i> or <i>y</i>. I recognize that my only reading is driven by a variety of different purposes and, I suspect, theirs is also. There are so many readers reading for so many different reasons that it's difficult (by which I mean "impossible") for anyone to say what a writer should or shouldn't do. <br />
<br />
Reading or read<br />
<br />
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Collected-Stories-Isaac-Babel/dp/0393324028/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397040400&sr=1-1&keywords=stories+babel">The Collected Stories of Isaac Babel</a> by Isaac Babel</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Junky-Definitive-William-S-Burroughs/dp/0802120423/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397040264&sr=1-1&keywords=junkie+burroughs">Junky</a> by William S. Burroughs </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moviegoer-Walker-Percy/dp/0375701966/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397040192&sr=1-1&keywords=the+moviegoer">The Moviegoer</a> by Walker Percy</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Sevastopol-Leo-Tolstoy/dp/1410201686/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397432655&sr=1-3&keywords=Tales+tolstoy">Tales of Sevastopol</a> by Leo Tolstoy</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Mystery-Theatre-Book-Scorpion/dp/1401210406/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397040224&sr=1-1&keywords=scorpion+sandman">Sandman Mystery Theatre: The Scorpion</a> by Matt Wagner</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Mystery-Theatre-Vol-Blackhawk/dp/1401225837/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397432422&sr=1-5&keywords=sandman+mystery+theatre">Sandman Mystery Theatre: The Blackhawk and the Return of the Scarlet Ghost</a> by Matt Wagner</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vamp-Sandman-Mystery-Theater-Book/dp/1401207189/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397432470&sr=1-1&keywords=sandman+mystery++vamp">Sandman Mystery Theatre</a>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vamp-Sandman-Mystery-Theater-Book/dp/1401207189/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397432470&sr=1-1&keywords=sandman+mystery++vamp">The Vamp</a> by Matt Wagner</li>
<li><a class="title" href="http://www.amazon.com/Human-Stain-American-Trilogy/dp/0375726349/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397682075&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Human+stain"><span style="color: #004b91;">The Human Stain</span></a> <span class="ptBrand">by </span>Philip Roth</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Gift-Women-Faber-Poetry/dp/057117762X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399292299&sr=1-1&keywords=god%27s+gift+to+women+paterson">God's Gift to Women</a> by Don Paterson</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tale-Time-Being-Novel/dp/0143124870/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399292327&sr=1-1&keywords=a+tale+for+the+time+being">A Tale for the Time Being</a> by Ruth Ozeki </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Western-Front-Erich-Remarque/dp/0449213943/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399292352&sr=1-1&keywords=all+quiet+on+the+western+front">All Quiet on the Western Front</a> by Erich Maria Remarque</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Krishnakantas-Will-Bankim-chandra-Chatterjee/dp/B000YHADSS/ref=sr_1_17?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399292406&sr=1-17&keywords=chatterjee+bankim">Krishnakanta's Will</a> by Bankim-chandra Chatterjee</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/River-Fire-Qurratulain-Hyder/dp/0811215334/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399292431&sr=1-1&keywords=river+of+fire+hyder">River of Fire</a> by Qurratulain Hyder</li>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-66807807650321553272014-04-04T17:46:00.001-04:002014-04-04T17:46:15.240-04:00Words That Don't Exist, Or, You can't preg anything<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A friend recently wondered what the opposite of "recessed" was--"uncessed," perhaps? The actual opposite is "raised," of course, as my friend knew. But sometimes our mind gets trapped by patterns in words (and sentences) and wanders off on blind trails. The issue with "recessed" is that it looks like "re-cessed" suggesting that "cess" is a word that can carry prefixes and suffixes. However, "recess" (in this sense) is, as far as I know, just a word that happens to begin with the letters "re."<br />
<br />
English isn't a logical language and, because words come from so many places, there probably aren't any patterns that you can rely on. For instance, "impregnable" is a word that suggests the existence of the word "preg" (as in "Who will preg the impregnable?"). And, how, we wonder is this related to "pregnant"?<br />
<br />
While "preg" may once have been a word (I don't know) it isn't any more. Though, interestingly enough you are allowed to say "That position is very pregnable" (though the spelling checker that comes with Blogspot disagrees, I notice).<br />
<br />
As an another example, I once had a classmate refer to a team "mantling and dismantling" a scaffold. It makes you wonder why we don't have "mantle" as a word.<br />
<br />
This desire to spot patterns and create words is so powerful it's actually added new words to the language (a process called "back formation": people move from what they consider to be a variation on a word to what they assume must be the base form of the word--in fact, that 'base form' did not, previously, exist). The noun "editor" existed long before the verb "edit" did but people, assuming that "editing" was what an editor did, added "edit" to the language (in fact, "editor" was a Latin noun that meant "producer of games"). Perhaps, it's only a matter of time before we start saying that what ushers do is "ush."<br />
<br />
Moving beyond words that don't exist (at least, not any more) there are all those words that do exist but can only be used in particular situations. Some words, for example, are only used in the negative: You could, presumably, "mince words" but no one ever does; People only say "I'm not going to mince words." And you certainly can't "unmince" your words though, presumably, that's what you do when you put 'officialese' into plain language.<br />
<br />
Language is fun.<br />
<br />
Reading or read<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Space-Between-Us-Thrity-Umrigar/dp/006079156X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395576490&sr=1-2&keywords=thrity"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Space-Between-Us-Thrity-Umrigar/dp/006079156X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395576490&sr=1-2&keywords=thrity">The Space Between Us</a> by Thrity Umrigar</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Collected-Stories-Isaac-Babel/dp/0393324028/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396608217&sr=1-3&keywords=isaac+babel">The Collected Stories</a> by Isaac Babel</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Goriot-Signet-Classics-Honore-Balzac/dp/0451529596/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396608336&sr=1-1&keywords=pere+goriot">Pere Goriot</a> by Honore de Balzac</li>
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-6834524478827020382014-03-01T12:07:00.000-05:002014-04-04T06:45:04.565-04:00Fitting into the Local Language, or New words! New words!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm just back from three weeks in the frozen north (Iqaluit on Baffin Island and Rankin Inlet on the northwest corner of Hudson's Bay). Being up there reminded how important it is to develop a feeling for the "local language," especially if you want to talk about your reader's immediate environment and have some measure of credibility. After all, if you can't speak the "local lingo" how much can you know about the local conditions?<br />
<br />
As I spent time in these communities, I started picking up the terms and inserting them into my speech. As an example, I was staying at the Frobisher Inn...but no one calls it that: It's "the Frob;" the land mass I was on for the first two weeks is "Baffin," not "Baffin Island;" the place where I spent my third week is "Rankin" not "Rankin Inlet." If, for instance, you have a gathering where people just come to talk to each other then you're coming "to have a chat around."<br />
<br />
Of course, if you're only in a location for a short period of time, you won't become fully fluent in "the vocab" (as English as Second Language teachers describe it). As a result, you'll drop clunkers: use words incorrectly and use non-local words when there's a local word that you don't know (yet). In order to get permission and forgiveness (i.e. to defuse reactions resulting from your misuse of the local lingo) you need to mention that you're only just starting to learn the local vocabulary. Again, this goes to credibility: It shows that you're interested in the local environment, that you're actively getting familiar with it, and that you recognize that it's a rich environment that a short term guest (like you) isn't going to pick up in a few weeks.<br />
<br />
One last term that one of the people I was working with shared with me: In Prince Edward Island (where she was born and grew up) people may wave to you today...but yesterday they "wove to you." Cool.<br />
<br />
Reading or read<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Ex-Colored-James-Weldon-Johnson/dp/1456314882/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392249340&sr=1-1&keywords=autobiography+of+a+colored+man">The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man</a> by James Weldon Johnson</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Palace-Novel-Amitav-Ghosh/dp/0375758771/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392249365&sr=1-1&keywords=glass+palace">The Glass Palace</a> by Amitav Ghosh</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Without-Laughter-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486454487/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392249461&sr=1-1&keywords=not+without+laughter">Not Without Laughter</a> by Langston Hughes</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/White-Mountains-John-Christopher/dp/0689856725/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393679762&sr=1-1&keywords=Tripods+mountains">The White Mountains</a> by John Christopher </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Conjure-Man-Dies-Black-Classics/dp/1874509212/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393679648&sr=1-2&keywords=the+conjure+man+dies">The Conjure-Man Dies</a> by Rudolph Fisher</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miserables-Penguin-Classics-Victor-Hugo/dp/0140444300/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393679862&sr=1-1&keywords=les+miserables+penquin">Les Miserables</a> by Victor Hugo</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Thunder-Gabriels-Revolt-Virginia/dp/0807063371/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393679685&sr=1-2&keywords=Black+Thunder">Black Thunder</a> by Arna Bontemps</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-No-More-George-Schuyler/dp/0486480402/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393679741&sr=1-1&keywords=black+no+more">Black No More</a> by George S. Schuyler</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Selected-Langston-Hughes-Vintage-Classics/dp/067972818X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393679911&sr=1-1&keywords=selected+poems+langston+hughes">Selected Poems of Langston Hughes</a> by Langston Hughes</li>
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-77615164692651448042014-01-29T07:09:00.004-05:002014-01-29T07:26:59.248-05:00Using jargon, or The etymology of bishing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My wife and I were checking out of a hotel where we'd been staying on a concierge floor (my wife got a deal on the rooms). To check out we had to go to the floor's lounge, entering through a set of double doors. A gentleman was ahead of us and had suddenly realized that he needed to get something from his pocket. He stopped in the doorway and, with his suitcase beside him, started searching his pockets. Since he was in the doorway, he completely blocked the entrance. I immediately thought to myself, "Bishing!"<br />
<br />
Bishing is the act of standing still in the exact place that will block the maximum amount of busy traffic around you. You probably didn't know that.<br />
<br />
Bishing is the word you would use in this situation only if you're a member of my family. The term derives from a children's book given to us by friend of ours (thanks, Karen Houle!) about 20 years ago. "Bish" refers to an animal that's a combination of a bird and a fish...and, actually, you don't care. Etymology is irrelevant to meaning and use.<br />
<br />
But all groups (businesses, families, social groups) will have words that mean something within the group and something different to the outside world...or, as in the case of "Bishing," nothing at all.<br />
<br />
Another example: Somewhere along the line, (and through, I think, my wife's family) our family has adopted the term "for the high jump" to refer to something that's worn out and is ready to be thrown out. The phrase is (supposed) to derive from hanging criminals and is used in the real world to refer to a person (not a thing) who is going to be severely criticized. How it ended up in our family with our current usage is anyone's guess.<br />
<br />
Technically (and outside of family situations) these kinds of words are known as "jargon." If you're speaking to an audience and are confident that you know how to use the jargon correctly you should use it. The audience knows the term and uses it to communicate among themselves so you should use it to communicate with them.<br />
<br />
However, If there's any doubt that you may not be using jargon correctly, however, you should avoid it like the plague. Using jargon incorrectly is a quick way to flag to the audience that you <i>don't know what you're talking about</i>--which is fatal in technical writing.<br />
<br />
How can you tell whether you're right or wrong? Always, always, always have someone from the audience check your usage. Don't ever trust your own judgement. Because, after all, you don't know what you're saying.<br />
<br />
Reading or read<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Corto-Maltese-Ballad-Salt-Sea/dp/0789324989/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386553825&sr=1-1&keywords=corto+maltese"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Corto-Maltese-Ballad-Salt-Sea/dp/0789324989/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386553825&sr=1-1&keywords=corto+maltese">Corto Maltese: The Ballad of the Salt Sea</a> by Hugo Pratt</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boxers-Saints-Gene-Luen-Yang/dp/1596433590/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387033525&sr=1-2&keywords=boxers">Boxers</a> by Gene Luen Yang </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Saints-Boxers-Gene-Luen-Yang/dp/1596436891/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387922346&sr=1-3&keywords=boxers%2Fsaints">Saints</a> by Gene Luen Yang</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Joe-Barbarian-Grant-Morrison/dp/1401237479/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388148692&sr=1-1&keywords=joe+the+barbarian">Joe the Barbarian</a> by Grant Morrison</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Widow-Alissa-Torres/dp/0345500695/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387033509&sr=1-1&keywords=american+widow">American Widow</a> by Alissa Torres</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stitches-Memoir-David-Small/dp/0393338967/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387123727&sr=1-1&keywords=stitches+small">Stitches: A Memoir</a> by David Small</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prelude-Million-Years-Without-Words/dp/0486472698/ref=sr_1_22?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390995343&sr=1-22&keywords=ward+lynd">Prelude to a Million Years and Song Without Words</a> by Lynd Ward </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Song-Novels-Amit-Chaudhuri/dp/0375404279/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387922845&sr=1-3&keywords=amit+chaudhuri">Freedom Song: Three Novels</a> by Amit Chaudhuri</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Swimming-Lessons-Other-Stories-Firozsha/dp/067977632X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388426513&sr=1-1&keywords=baag+mistry">Swimming Lessons: and Other Stories from Firozsha Baag</a> by Rohinton Mistry</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Half-Inch-Himalayas-Wesleyan-Poetry/dp/0819511323/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387033553&sr=1-1&keywords=half-inch+himalayas">The Half-Inch Himalayas</a> by Agha Shahid Ali </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maphead-Charting-Weird-World-Geography/dp/1439167184/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388148881&sr=1-1&keywords=maphead">Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks</a> by Ken Jennings</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Could-Chew-This-Other-Poems/dp/1452119031/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388334315&sr=1-1&keywords=I+can+chew+on+that">I Could Chew on This: And Other Poems by Dogs</a> by Francesco Marciuliano</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Harlem-Northeastern-Library-Black-Literature/dp/1555530249/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390995452&sr=1-1&keywords=home+to+harlem">Home To Harlem</a> by Claude McKay</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Order-without-Law-Neighbors-Disputes/dp/0674641698/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388334336&sr=1-1&keywords=order+without+law">Order without Law: How Neighbors Settle Disputes</a> by Robert Ellickson</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Architecture-20th-Century-vols-slipcase/dp/3822841269/ref=sr_1_17?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388334418&sr=1-17&keywords=architecture+century+taschen">Architecture in the 20th Century</a> by Peter Gössel and Gabriele Leuthäuser</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Over-Line-Life-Jacob-Lawrence/dp/0295979658/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390998355&sr=1-5&keywords=over+the+line">Over the Line: The Art and Life of Jacob Lawrence</a> by Elizabeth Hutton Turner, et. al. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Plum-Bun-Novel-Without-Moral/dp/0807009199/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390995184&sr=1-1&keywords=plum+bun">Plum Bun: A Novel Without a Moral</a> by Jessi Redmon Fauset</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Our-Andromeda-Brenda-Shaughnessy/dp/1556594100/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390995158&sr=1-1&keywords=my+andromeda">Our Andromeda</a> by Brenda Shaughnessy</li>
<li><a href="http://librivox.org/mysteries-of-udolpho-by-ann-radcliffe/">The Mysteries of Udolpho</a> by Ann Radcliff</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quicksand-Dover-Books-Literature-Drama/dp/0486451402/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390995204&sr=1-1&keywords=quicksand">Quicksand</a> by Nella Larsen </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cripple-His-Talismans-Anosh-Irani-ebook/dp/B00466H4X0/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390995250&sr=1-2&keywords=and+his+talismans">The Cripple and His Talismans</a> by Irani, Anosh</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blacker-Berry-Dover-Books-Literature/dp/0486461343/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390995411&sr=1-1&keywords=blacker+the+berry">The Blacker the Berry</a> by Wallace Thurman</li>
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-61723112980037886132013-12-08T09:30:00.003-05:002015-09-30T21:41:43.740-04:00Redefining "Marriage" or, I don't think he actually cares<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was watching Rick Warren (who seems to be a very nice man) talk about homosexuality. He didn't advance many of the usual arguments against gay marriage. Perhaps he feels, as I do, that there may be good arguments against the government discriminating between citizens based on their sexual identity but also feels, as I do, that he hasn't seen them yet.<br />
<br />
But Mr. Warren did make the "redefinition" argument and added a twist. Specifically, he asserted that one group of people don't have the right to redefine a word used by another group (as an example, that, as a Christian, he wouldn't be allowed to redefine a Muslim term). Unfortunately, "this dog don't hunt," either.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Marriage Word</span><br />
Words, of course, get redefined all the time. "Silly" originally meant something like "innocent" and was closely allied to "saintly." Long before "worship" was a verb, it was a noun.<br />
<br />
And, of course, Mr. Warren's issue could be seen as just another example of how people object to any change in the language: We all seem to feel that the English language achieves perfection about the time we were in grade 6 and that any change after that is a degradation in the language. Normally, I regard these complaints as harmless idiosyncrasies (and I share some of them: I am so grateful that "gifted" isn't more popular). But Mr. Warren wants to use this argument to have the government impose limitations on its tax-paying citizens, to pick and choose among citizens based on their sexual preferences. That seems to be taking an affection for the language to an extreme.<br />
<br />
Mr. Warren makes the claim that throughout the world, the word "marriage" means a union between a man and a woman, with a commitment. Well, first off, that's wrong. In many parts of the world (and in the Bible that Mr. Warren draws on) marriage means a union between a man and multiple women. He does recognize, apparently, that love isn't often involved: In many parts of the world, a couple's marriage is still arranged between the two parents and whatever commitment occurs grows out of that.<br />
<br />
More importantly, this isn't actually the definition of marriage throughout history and the world. The actual definition, based on how the word is actually used, is "the union between a man and a woman of the same ethnic background and religious affiliation". Mr. Warren knows very well that, until relatively recently, a Jew could not marry a Christian, a Muslim marry a Jew, or even (for much of our history) a Protestant marry a Catholic. This was often enforced by church policy, government laws, and social structures: an unbeatable trinity. And that's just the limitations related to religion: Marrying outside of your ethnic group (or even social class) was also forbidden by these same three controls (marriage between whites and blacks, for instance, was explicitly forbidden by law in many parts of the US as late as 1967--a law supported by over 80% of total US population at the time of its repeal). The reason we have the term "mixed race marriage" is because the term "marriage" didn't cover, and specifically excluded, marriages between people of different ethnic backgrounds.<br />
<br />
Generally speaking, we've been redefining marriage consistently over the last century by removing these restrictions. Mr. Warren is apparently comfortable with these redefinitions because, I guess, they were made by heterosexuals (though, I bet, lots of closeted homosexuals supported those changes). It would be churlish of me to point out that Mr. Warren (and his congregation) have also benefited from these redefinitions...but I will. Extending marriage to include homosexuals would not, of course, benefit Mr. Warren...and Mr. Warren is opposed to that change.<br />
<br />
But moving on from "marriage," we, including Mr. Warren, have redefined lots of important words. "Citizen," for instance started out as white, male, property owners, considerably older than 18 or 21--not the current definition by a long shot. As another example (apropos of Mr. Warren), Martin Luther led a pretty radical redefinition of Christianity. Mr. Warren seems to be pretty comfortable with that redefinition, too. Again, it would be churlish of me...<br />
<br />
And all of these words were redefined by the people they applied to with the participation of the people the words didn't (at that time) apply to. Mr. Warren would like 'marriage' to be treated differently and only changed by a specific group...a group whose definition he doesn't want to be too specific about.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Us" and "Them"</span><br />
Which leads to the part that Mr. Warren has added: Mr. Warren distinguishes between 'us' (who own the term "marriage," apparently) and 'them' (who do not). He disingenuously introduces this as a limit on his powers (he shouldn't be allowed to change a Muslim term) but the problem is that we Christian/English/North American/European speakers been doing these kinds of redefinitions of "other people's" terms since time began and no one--including Mr. Warren--has complained.<br />
<br />
Based on this new rule, for example, Mr. Warren should be <i>very</i> upset about the way the Hindu word "Brahmin" (meaning a priestly caste in Hindu) has been redefined by English speakers (to mean a member of upper society). Based on this rule, he should also be incensed at the way that Christians like himself have redefined the Muslim word "Mecca" to mean any notable destination that an identifiable group of people make a point of going to. I assume that he has advocated that several levels of government take action on this or that there should be a constitutional amendment about it.<br />
<br />
No, wait, he hasn't. In fact, the only redefinition he objects to is "gay marriage" which is, of course, because this redefinition pertains to an actual practice--and it's the practice that he objects to. Mr. Warren wants to use this previously unknown law of linguistics to not to limit himself but to limit other people.<br />
<br />
Which leads to the core problem with Mr. Warren's new law of linguistics: who are these are "other people"? Mr. Warren talks about the definition of "marriage" around the world--obviously Mr. Warren doesn't believe that "marriage" is a specifically Christian, American, or even North American/European term. It's hard, therefore, to determine whom the two groups he thinks are in conflict here are, "around the world," since the group that he feels owns the term "marriage" is so diverse. His Christian vs. Muslim distinction doesn't even begin to cover this spread.<br />
<br />
But I'm being disingenuous: Obviously, Mr. Warren feels that it's people who support gay marriage that aren't like 'him.' They may be Americans, as Mr. Warren is, and they may call themselves Christians, as Mr. Warren does, but they aren't 'him' (normally, at this point, I would also say they are tax payers like Mr. Warren but, I assume, Mr. Warren as a religious leader doesn't pay taxes...as opposed to the people who he wants to prevent from marrying). There is at least one other point of distinction: at least some of 'them' serve in the armed forces, as Mr. Warren does not and never has.<br />
<br />
In fact, Mr. Warren is probably thinking of heterosexuals vs. homosexuals (except, of course, many heterosexuals believe that marriage should be independent of 'sexual identity'). Mr. Warren, I suspect, wants to say that "marriage" is a 'heterosexual word' that homosexuals shouldn't meddle with (and a word that heterosexuals can define any way they want: restricting by ethnic group/religion and including polygamy, as examples). He doesn't say this out loud because (I suspect) he realizes that it sounds stupid but that seems to be the idea he wants people to take away.<br />
<br />
And, besides, how do you decide what words are "heterosexual words"? Is 'queer' a heterosexual word because it was originally used by heterosexuals to denigrate homosexuals? Should homosexuals, as a result, not have been allowed to 'redefine' it when they reclaimed it as a term of gay pride ("We're here and we're queer--get used to it.")? How about "gay"? Isn't that a "heterosexual" word? Under that rule aren't all words "heterosexual words"? If so, doesn't that mean there are no words that homosexuals can say are "theirs"? Mr. Warren's rule just a way to give him all the power and for no one else to have any.<br />
<br />
Of course, it's a 'heterosexual word' because Mr. Warren and other heterosexuals have asked for it to be enforced as such by the government of both heterosexuals and homosexuals. In other words: after insisting that the term shouldn't be used by 'homosexuals' and should only be used by 'heterosexuals' (like himself), he then insists that 'homosexuals' shouldn't mess with the term that he's excluded them from. This would be roughly similar to saying, at various points in American history, that "voter" shouldn't be redefined to include Blacks or Asians because the term had never been applied to them: it was a "white" term.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">How Did He Get Here?</span><br />
I appreciate Mr. Warren's attention to the language but I don't think he actually cares. I suspect that Mr. Warren knows very little about how the language works or changes over time and is, instead, desperately trying to find some secular reason on which to base his demands on legislators. But his argument fails on every level: "marriage" has always had its meaning redefined, the distinction he makes between people who are allowed to make changes to this word and those who are not allowed doesn't exist, and he's perfectly happy with many other redefinitions that benefit him.<br />
<br />
Mr. Warren's obviously an intelligent man (read his book, "The Purpose-Driven Life"). What "purpose" could drive him to adopt an argument that even five seconds thought shows fails completely at every point? I suspect that Mr. Warren has religious commitments that oblige him to this position on gay marriage (in much the same way that members of the Southern Baptist Convention found that their beliefs obliged them to support segregation). I suspect that he feels that his religious beliefs do not form an adequate reason for asking for the government to pass laws that distinguish between tax-paying American citizens--to pick winners and losers in the marriage arena. He's grasped this "redefinition" argument as a possible reason and, as a desperate man, didn't want to spend much time examining it too closely. That's good because it doesn't bare any kind of examination.<br />
<br />
As I said, there may be good arguments against gay marriage. I haven't seen any yet. And neither, apparently, has Mr. Warren.<br />
<br />
Reading or read<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Malone-Dies-Samuel-Beckett/dp/B000BCICIO/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382813830&sr=1-3&keywords=malone+dies">Malone Dies</a> by Samuel. Beckett</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unnamable-Samuel-Beckett/dp/0571244645/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382988178&sr=1-2&keywords=the+unnamable">Unnamable</a> by Samuel Beckett</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sakhalin-Island-Classics-Anton-Chekhov/dp/1847492916/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383874717&sr=1-1&keywords=chekhov+island">Sakhalin Island</a> by Anton Chekhov</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Storyteller-Leslie-Marmon-Silko/dp/0143121286/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384173934&sr=1-1&keywords=storyteller+silko">Storyteller</a> by Leslie Marmon Silko</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ragtime-Novel-Modern-Library-Novels/dp/0812978188/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386066945&sr=1-1&keywords=ragtime">Ragtime</a> by E.L. Doctorow</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Malgudi-R-K-Narayan/dp/0140185453/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383874748&sr=1-2&keywords=tiger+narayan">A Tiger for Malgudi</a> by R. K. Narayan</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Playground-Rhangboomi-Premchand/dp/0143102117/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386067007&sr=1-1&keywords=premchand+playground">Playground: Rhangboomi</a> by Premchand</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pather-Panchali-Song-Bengali-Novel/dp/B002ZQ6Z8S/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386066795&sr=1-2&keywords=song+of+the+road+banerji">Pather Panchali. Song of the Road</a> by Bibhutibhushan Banerji </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Samskara-Rite-Oxford-India-Collection/dp/0195610792/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386505021&sr=1-2&keywords=rite+for+a+dead+man">Samskara: A Rite for a Dead Man</a> by U.R. Anantha Murthy</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Dead-50th-Anniversary/dp/0312265050/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386066824&sr=1-1&keywords=the+naked+and+the+dead">The Naked and the Dead</a> by Norman Mailer</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bonnard-Colour-Library-Phaidon/dp/0714830526/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384173885&sr=1-1&keywords=bonnard+phaidon">Bonnard</a> by Julian Bell</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Impossible-Worlds-Ernst-Escher/dp/B001D0X9BI/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382446330&sr=1-13&keywords=taschen+escher+ernst">Impossible Worlds: Escher </a>by Bruno Enst</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Mystery-Theatre-Book-Hourman/dp/1401216773/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386369651&sr=1-1&keywords=sandman+python">Sandman Mystery Theatre: The Hourman and the Python</a> by Matt Wagner</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hawkeye-Little-Hits-Vol-2/dp/0785165630/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386369674&sr=1-1&keywords=hawkeye+little+hits">Hawkeye: Little Hits</a> by Matt Fraction</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tale-One-Bad-Rat-2nd/dp/1595824936/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386418600&sr=1-1&keywords=one+bad+rat">The Tale of One Bad Rat</a> by Bryan Talbot</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grandville-Bryan-Talbot/dp/1595823972/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386418623&sr=1-1&keywords=grandville">Grandville</a> by Bryan Talbot</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ethel-Ernest-Story-Raymond-Briggs/dp/0375407588/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386426851&sr=1-1&keywords=ethel+and+ernest">Ethel and Ernest: A True Story</a> by Raymond Briggs</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alice-Sunderland-Bryan-Talbot/dp/1593076738/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386436138&sr=1-1&keywords=alice+in+sunderland">Alice in Sunderland</a> by Bryan Talbot</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quoof-Paul-Muldoon-ebook/dp/B004G8QI0S/ref=sr_1_18?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1386418911&sr=1-18&keywords=paul+muldoon">Quoof</a> by Paul Muldoon</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Strike-Slip-Don-McKay/dp/0771055439/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386431206&sr=1-1&keywords=don+mckay+slip">Strike/Slip</a> by Don McKay</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Incarnadine-Poems-Mary-Szybist/dp/1555976352/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386504969&sr=1-1&keywords=incarnadine">Incarnadine: Poems</a> by Mary Szybist</li>
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-19089463999746042492013-10-19T14:12:00.003-04:002013-11-16T22:32:16.301-05:00The Morality of Definitions or, Effective? I don't think so<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There's a strategy in technical writing that concerns me from a moral point of view: using words of dubious meaning to establish credibility. For instance, I sometimes read documents that urge "efficiency": the ability to get the most bang for your buck. These writers are often interested in cutting costs and unconcerned with the readers' goals.<br />
<br />
The problem is that most readers aren't concerned with efficiency, at least not on its own. Readers are more often concerned about "effectiveness": the ability to get what they want. Saving time, money, or energy (the point of "efficiency") is only interesting if the result is something the reader actually wants. However, I often see writers using "efficiency" as a synonym for "effectiveness" because (a) they figure that readers won't notice the difference and (b) efficiency is assumed to be a good thing so anything that achieves that goal is, obviously, a good thing.<br />
<br />
Another strategy is to use words with positive associations but with poorly delineated meanings. Up here in Canada (and many years ago) we had a "Family Values" party whose candidates campaigned in provincial elections. The issue is that I know that my family's values are almost certainly different (in detail or in grand design) from your family's values. Heck, I know that there are tremendous differences in values just within my family. For instance, I think that government-assisted daycare is an excellent way to help support families where both parents work; others feel that both parents shouldn't be working and, as a result, daycare is a bad idea. Without a definition of what "Family Values" actually means, the term is simply designed to attract readers without, necessarily, achieving the goals of anyone but the author.<br />
<br />
"Effective" is another word that sounds so very good but without a precise definition means anything the reader cares to read into it. I'm reminded of this every time I teach my <a href="http://www.learningtree.ca/courses/319/technical-writing-introduction/" target="_blank">technical writing course</a>, I tell participants that the course will help them create "effective" documents. I then ask participants what "effective" means and get a list of what are usually regarded as good things in technical writing: concise, clear, etc. For me, however, an "effective technical document" means just two things:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>It actually gets read by the people it's intended for</li>
<li>It makes a difference in its reader's lives</li>
</ul>
<br />
Same word, two different meanings. Interestingly, I think the class' participants are actually more interested in learning how achieve my definition. However, if we taught the participants' definition, we could probably send the participants home happy--we'd have a credible course. But we could do that without ever achieving what should be the real definition of effective.<br />
<br />
Reading or Read<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hare-C%C3%A9sar-Aira/dp/0811220907/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380968947&sr=1-2&keywords=the+hare">The Hare</a> by César Aira</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fortress-Writings-Unbound-Europe/dp/0810117134/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380968966&sr=1-1&keywords=the+fortress">The Fortress</a> by Mesa Selimovic</li>
<li><a href="http://librivox.org/the-eustace-diamonds-by-anthony-trollope/">The Eustace Diamonds</a> by Anthony Trollope</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Your-Life-Others-Chiang/dp/1931520720/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381319302&sr=1-1&keywords=ted+chiang">Stories of Your Life and Others</a> by Ted Chiang</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/They-Shoot-Horses-Serpents-Classics/dp/184668739X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381319332&sr=1-1&keywords=they+shoot+horses+don%27t+they">They Shoot Horses, Don't They?</a> by Horace McCoy</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sketches-Hunters-Album-Complete-Classics/dp/0140445226/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381754563&sr=1-1&keywords=turgenev+sketches">Sketches from a Hunter's Album</a> by Ivan Turgenev</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-After-Novel-Kate-Atkinson/dp/0316176486/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381319265&sr=1-1&keywords=life+after+life">Life After Life: A Novel</a> by Kate Atkinson </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Samuel-Pepys-Vol-Companion/dp/0520227158/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382105802&sr=1-1&keywords=pepys+companion">The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Vol. 10: Companion</a> by Samuel Pepys</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Molloy-Samuel-Beckett/dp/0802151361/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381754606&sr=1-1&keywords=molloy+beckett">Molloy</a> by Samuel Beckett</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hart-Cranes-Bridge-Lawrence-Kramer/dp/0823233073/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382105918&sr=1-1&keywords=crane+bridge+annotated">Hart Crane's 'The Bridge': An Annotated Edition</a> by Lawrence Kramer</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roy-Lichtenstein-Meditations-Gianni-Mercurio/dp/885720460X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380969023&sr=1-1&keywords=lichtenstein+meditations">Roy Lichtenstein: Meditations on Art</a> by Gianni Mercurio</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roy-Lichtenstein-1923-1997-Taschen-Basic/dp/3822858609/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380969044&sr=1-1&keywords=lichtenstein+hendrickson">Roy Lichtenstein, 1923-1997</a> by Janis Hendrickson</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eakins-Watercolors-Watson-Guptill-Famous-Artists/dp/0823015920/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381499202&sr=1-1&keywords=eakins+watercolors">Eakins Watercolors</a> by Donelson F. Hoopes</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Violent-Cases-Neil-Gaiman/dp/1569716064/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380968993&sr=1-2&keywords=violent+cases">Violent Cases</a> by Neil Gaiman </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Bucky-Story-Barnes/dp/0785151249/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381319395&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Life+of+Bucky+Barnes">Captain America and Bucky: The Life Story of Bucky Barnes</a> by Ed Brubaker </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Midnight-Theatre-Neil-Gaiman/dp/1563892081/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381319423&sr=1-1&keywords=sandman+midnight+theatre">Sandman Midnight Theatre</a> by Neil Gaiman </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tarantula-Sandman-Mystery-Theater-Book/dp/1563891956/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381319446&sr=1-1&keywords=sandman+tarantula">Sandman Mystery Theatre: The Tarantula</a> by Matt Wagner</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Mystery-Theatre-Book-Butcher/dp/1401212379/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381498844&sr=1-1&keywords=sandman+butcher">Sandman Mystery Theatre: Dr. Death and the Night of the Butcher</a> by Matt Wagner</li>
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-3857534032515182622013-10-02T07:20:00.002-04:002013-10-02T07:20:42.145-04:00Using Commas, Or Come, on really?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the complaints I hear is "With you attitude toward grammar you can't have any mistakes." And, to a certain extent, that's true: if enough people are doing something often enough then it stops being a 'mistake' and becomes 'part of the language.' Deciding when it's "enough people" and "often enough" is a historical and statistical issue with fuzzy boundaries.<div>
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Up until those boundaries are reached, however, you can have errors. You can one-off errors where some just 'makes a mistake'--you point out to the person what they did, they say "Oh, right! I can't believe I did that" and you both carry on with your lives. People also make systemic mistakes: they believe something works one way and do that thing over and over again thinking it's the way the language works. Here, when you point out the error, you often have to provide an explanation or a reference to an authority--and you shouldn't be surprised if the person involved (perhaps, you) makes that mistake a few more times in the future (or never gives up that mistake): it's a habitual or systemic error.<br /><br />Commas, for instance, are a never-ending fountain of systemic errors by writers. All of my sons--bright, intelligent human beings who can write well--regularly screw up using commas. Ignoring its use in creating lists, commas can be used to mark out a segment of a sentence that could be removed from the sentence without altering the sentence's meaning: the part of the sentence between the commas adds information/colour/whatever that isn't essential. On CNN, I found this example (all the examples in this column are from CNN):<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, might already be in this camp. </span></div>
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If the R-Ohio is lifted out, the sentence still works. Here, the commas must come in pairs: an opening comma that marks the start of the phrase working in conjunction with a closing comma that marks the end of the phrase.</div>
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Commas are also used to mark opening and closing phrases in a sentence, as in this example:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But looking plainly at the political chess board and listening to sources on Capitol Hill, there is plenty of reason to think that a shutdown of the federal government won't happen, at least not next week.</span></div>
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Here, again, the information up until the first comma and following the last comma could be omitted and the sentence would still work.These commas work in conjunction with the start or end of the sentence.</div>
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So far, so good. But I've had many writers I've worked with tell me that they thought commas were to mark a pause, a breath in the sentence. This makes sense only if you believe we read all sentences aloud to ourselves...and that seems unlikely. In the following sentence, the part following the second comma could be used that way if you want to imagine (for instance) Wolf Blitzer taking an ominous pause just before the word "just":</div>
<div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bluntly, many Republicans fear they will be blamed for a shutdown, just months before a big congressional election year.</span><br /><br />Except that there must be about 40,000 ways to read that pause and the comma provides no guidance on which way to use (in the unlikely event that readers paused at all). </div>
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If we assume that reading is different from talking and no one "reads" a pause: Why is the comma there? The word "just" introduces a subordinate clause and is all the introduction that the clause needs. If you want to assume that readers "read a pause" for the comma why wouldn't you believe that readers "read a pause" before a subordinate clause?</div>
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That comma before the word "just" is a reflection of something now done often enough by enough people that it's become a rule: the word "but" must be preceded by a comma:</div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conservatives forced him to go to war with a different version fully defunding Obamacare, but Boehner's opening move was an important signal that he wants to sidestep a shutdown.</span><br /><br />A "but" (like "that" or "then" or "which") is all the introduction that a subordinate clause needs--the comma adds no value. However, it's now common practice and (I'm sure) I could find some examples in schoolbooks advocating for it.</div>
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All of this assumes a relatively close punctuation style with lots of commas. If you go with a more open punctuation style you can omit many commas and many problems go away. This example, for instance, has commas around "among other things" which can be lifted out:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His defense is trying to prove, among other things, that the ship's watertight doors did not function properly, and that is the reason the ship sank, leading to all 32 deaths during evacuation. </span></div>
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But why the commas around "and that is the reason the ship sank"? The "and" indicates that we have a two part list--why break it up? A more open punctuation style would abandon that comma and eliminate an opportunity for error.</div>
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One final example:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;">I</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n Kentucky, problems plagued the exchange site until mid-afternoon, but more than 1,200 people had purchased policies or enrolled in Medicaid, according to Gwenda Bond, spokeswoman for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;"><br /></span></div>
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The "In Kentucky" is an opening phrase so the comma that follows has a purpose. However, removing the opening phrase would make the sentence senseless (what would the following "this" be referring to?). In a more open punctuation style, that first comma could be eliminated. </div>
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Then, however, we have the commas around "but more....Bond"--that's part of the point of the sentence and couldn't be eliminated. Reading to the end, however, we discover that the comma following "Bond" is actually marking off a closing phrase (beginning "spokeswoman..."). That means that the comma before "but" is a standalone comma marking....what, exactly? Surely not a pause. And how would a reader, seeing the comma before "but" know that it doesn't mark the start of a paired set--especially when the reader does, finally, find the second comma after "Bond"?</div>
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I've never met a punctuation mark I didn't like. And I do prefer a close punctuation style. But let's all use commas less:</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>In lists of more than two items</li>
<li>In strings of adjectives ("she was a tall, lithsome beauty"), if you want to</li>
<li>In pairs, to mark off removable parts of a sentence</li>
<li>To mark off leading/trailing phrases, if you want to</li>
</ul>
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And let's stop dropping commas in automatically before some magic word that doesn't need the comma. If we don't start doing this now, it will become a rule. And we don't want that, do we?</div>
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Reading or read</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Attention-Selected-Renaissance-Modernism/dp/1858944449/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377444429&sr=1-7&keywords=drawing+attention">Drawing Attention: Selected Works on Paper</a> by Katherine Lochnan</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sophie-Calle-Address-Book/dp/0979956293/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378044687&sr=1-1&keywords=address+book+calle">The Address Book</a> by Sophie Calle</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Frank-Lloyd-Wrights-Robie-House/dp/0486245829/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378039828&sr=1-2&keywords=robie+house+dover">Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House</a> by Donald Hoffmann</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/MetaMaus-Inside-Modern-Classic-DVD-R/dp/037542394X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378137021&sr=1-1&keywords=metamaus">MetaMaus</a> by Art Spiegelman</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Beetle-Companion-Christopher-Irving/dp/1893905705/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378983597&sr=1-1&keywords=blue+beetle+companion">Blue Beetle Companion</a> by Christopher Irving</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Compleat-Terminal-City-Dean-Motter/dp/159582877X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378983543&sr=1-1&keywords=terminal+city">The Compleat Terminal City</a> by Dean Motter</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hawkeye-Vol-Life-Weapon-Marvel/dp/0785165622/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378983571&sr=1-1&keywords=my+life+as+a+weapon">Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon</a> by Matt Fraction</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rajmohans-Wife-Bankim-Chandra-Chatterjee/dp/812911383X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378039857&sr=1-1&keywords=wife+chatterjee">Rajmohan's Wife</a> by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Away-Novel-Jane-Urquhart/dp/0140249265/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378045227&sr=1-1&keywords=away+urquhart">Away</a> by Jane Urquhart</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crusoes-Daughter-Jane-Gardam/dp/1609450698/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378983653&sr=1-1&keywords=crusoe%27s+daughter">Crusoe's Daughter</a> by Jane Gardam</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0307887448/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379351592&sr=1-1&keywords=ready+player+one">Ready Player One: A Novel</a> by Ernest Cline</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Stranger-Mark-Twain-Library/dp/0520242068/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378403110&sr=1-2&keywords=no.+44">No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger</a> by Mark Twain</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Redshirts-Novel-Three-John-Scalzi/dp/0765334798/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377442994&sr=1-1&keywords=Red+shirts">Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas</a> by John Scalzi</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Edge-Reason-Revived-Modern-Classic/dp/0811213064/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377443055&sr=1-5&keywords=the+edge+of+reason">On the Edge of Reason</a> by Miroslav Krleza</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Professor-Martens-Departure-Jaan-Kross/dp/1565841115/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377444110&sr=1-3&keywords=jaan+kross">Professor Martens' Departure</a> by Jaan Kross</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/English-August-Indian-Review-Classics/dp/1590171799/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378039806&sr=1-1&keywords=august%2C+english">English, August: An Indian Story</a> by Upamanyu Chatterjee</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Big-Smoke-Poets-Penguin/dp/0143123726/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378136992&sr=1-1&keywords=big+smoke">The Big Smoke </a> by Adrian Matejka </li>
<li><a href="http://librivox.org/jerusalem-delivered-by-torquato-tasso/">Jerusalem Delivered</a> by Torquato Tasso</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-46227503036586176132013-08-17T13:12:00.002-04:002013-08-19T12:37:16.429-04:00Language as a Social Activity, Or Literally, it's not about meaning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
CNN has an <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/living/literally-definition/index.html" target="_blank">article</a> on how the definition of "literally" in many dictionaries has been extended to include the idea that the word is used for emphasis (as in "the phones are literally ringing off the walls"--probably not true but, yet, you get what the speaker means). This has led to an enormous number of comments (1300, as I write) between people horrified at the change and others pointing out that this kind of change is typical of what languages do (side note: there are so many words that mean both one thing and its opposite that someone took the time to coin a term for them: autoantonyms). I've been engaged in a series of comments on this with an especially stupid person (screen name "English Language" who claims to be an affiliated with the MLA, the Chicago Manual of Style, the AP style guide, and Strunk & White; I'm in the comment section as "PeterHunterVogel").<br />
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But that's not what I want to talk about. <br />
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One of things that keeps coming up in this discussion is that the purpose of English (and, I assume, any language) is to convey meaning and to do so as clearly as possible ("English Language" keeps using the word "precise"). Obviously, if that's true then English is doing a terrible job of achieving that goal which is why you keep having people like "English Language" whining about it.<br />
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As a technical writer, I really hate to disagree with the position that language exists to communicate meaning precisely. But I've come to believe that "conveying information precisely" is not the reason that language exists. I've come to think that language exists as a way of allowing people to work and live together--as way of building relationships. Part of that is certainly conveying meaning (or just information) between people. But I think that's just part of the job that language performs.<br />
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For instance, off the top of my head, other uses of the language include: to flirt, to endear, to make jokes, to perform rituals (e.g. marriage), to be social/diplomatic (please, thank you), to console, to challenge, to enrage, to encourage, to trick, to confuse, to obfuscate. We use language when, plainly, it's impossible to convey information (unless we're crazy): when talking to ourselves, babies, animals, plants, and so on. With babies, animals, and plants I suspect that we're counting on our tone of voice to do something (with babies: console, probably) but we don't just utter meaningless sounds--we use language. In, fact with babies, we often use a specific form of English (generally referred to as "baby talk") that, among other things, omits articles. Even if you want to suggest that we're using language here to communicate, by example, information to the baby about how language works I doubt anyone believes that's happening with children under, say, six months of age.<br />
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I'd be willing to bet that if we added up all of the words spoken and written, most those words aren't being used to "convey information" at all but are being used to do something else entirely. I wouldn't be willing to bet a lot of money but I'd be willing to be some (and, by the way, I'd also bet that many times when information is conveyed that isn't really our point, hence the phrase "just making conversation").<br />
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I suspect that many poets, essayists, and fiction writers wouldn't put "conveying information precisely" high on their list of "important things about the language." They might, instead, talk about the language's ability to "evoke" and be "expressive." Many poems rest, in fact, on a word's ambiguity. John Berryman's "The Dream Songs" are a fabulous work but I'd be hard pressed, for some of those poems, to re-state what they mean: those poems hardly be said to convey information at all let alone to do it "precisely." Yet those same poems resonate with me because their goal is to evoke a feeling or an emotion--what information is being conveyed is just a tool in achieving that goal. And,by the way, when we talk about these kinds of works, we're talking about things that are often considered to be the greatest achievements in the language. These works are conveying meaning only if you redefine "meaning" to include--at the very least--"emotion" (what is, for instance, the "meaning" of a series of anapests?). Even works focused on conveying information often are really trying to do something else: get us to change our allegiance and adopt a new position on a topic.<br />
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I think we get focused on the "information/meaning processing" side of language because the people writing about language tend to be academics, scientists, and the like. Much of their professional life is, of course, wrapped up in discovering new things and communicating that to others--often, their jobs depend on it. Not surprisingly, therefore, that affects how those people see language. If anthropologists/sociologists were more interested in the history/uses of language we might have a different view of language. <br />
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For instance, an enormous part of many languages is devoted to distinguishing between people of different social relationships (class, family, life and work partners) and specifying how you talk to those people. Specific parts of the language exist to support the distinction. We do this when we speak one way to our friends and a different way to our boss or parents. You could claim these changes convey information ("I'm a higher/lower rank than you", "You are/aren't part of my inner circle" or even "I'm acknowledging that you are of a higher/lower status than me") but I'd say you're stretching what's happening here in order to hang on to your point. Both parties are perfectly aware of their relationship and don't need to be told. We use the language that way because that's the way you're supposed to talk in this kind of relationship.<br />
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One of the big breakthroughs in the study of business management occurred when Henry Mintzberg stopped assuming that the purpose of a business manager was "to make decisions" and stopped focusing on how managers did (or should) make good decisions. Instead, Mintzberg had his graduate students follow successful managers around to see what those managers actually did. Mintzberg then assumed that those managers were successful because of <i>all</i> the things they did (not just the decision making part) and looked at all of those activities. Of course, managers do make decisions but, it turns out, that was only part of their job. The same should be done with language.<br />
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I can't be the first person to think of this approach so I suspect that lots of people, somewhere are doing that kind of analysis; I (and "English Language") are just ignorant of their work.<br />
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I mean: If it's true that English is supposed to exist to convey meaning precisely then why do we have people in every age complaining about how the latest change undermines that goal? If that was the goal of the language you'd think that, by now, we'd have achieved it. The usual objection is that stupid people keep introducing changes that screw the language up (that's the gist of many of the complaints to the changes to the definition of "literally"). But if language doesn't exist primarily to convey meaning precisely, it wouldn't be surprising if changes to the language don't always support "conveying information precisely" and, in practice, frequently undermine it. And, by golly, that's what happens.<br />
<br />
Reading or read<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Estate-Grand-Meaulnes-Penguin-Classics/dp/0141441895/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374766075&sr=1-1&keywords=alain-fournier">Le Grand Meaulnes</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span>by Henri Alain-Fournier<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cerebus-1-Dave-Sim/dp/0919359086/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374274327&sr=1-1&keywords=cerebus+the+aardvark"></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Pastoral-Philip-Roth/dp/0375701427/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374766115&sr=1-1&keywords=american+pastoral">American Pastoral</a> by Philip Roth</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Face-Battle-Study-Agincourt-Waterloo/dp/0140048979/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376477994&sr=1-1&keywords=face+of+battle">The Face of Battle: A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme</a> by John Keegan</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Century-Drawings-Watercolors-Raymond-Cogniat/dp/B0006BOOBY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375128192&sr=1-1&keywords=century+drawings+and+watercolors">XXth Century Drawings and Watercolors</a> by Raymond Cogniat </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guido-Molinari-Ecrits-1954-1975-English/dp/0888843070/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375128294&sr=1-2&keywords=guido+molinari">Guido Molinari</a> by Pierre Theberge</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Francis-Bacon-printed-Switzerland-Russell/dp/0821202820/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375714542&sr=1-6&keywords=francis+bacon+russell">Francis Bacon</a> by John Russell</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Auction-Sotheby-Bernet-1975-76/dp/B001KXESCC/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375858639&sr=1-12&keywords=sotheby%27s+art+at+auction+1975">Art at Auction: the Year at Sotheby Parke Bernet, 1975-76</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.foliosociety.com/book/AOM/anatomy-of-melancholy">The Anatomy of Melancholy</a> by Robert Burton</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cerebus-1-Dave-Sim/dp/0919359086/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374274327&sr=1-1&keywords=cerebus+the+aardvark">Cerebus, Volume 1</a> by Dave Sim</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rhymes-Lust-Arnold-Drake/dp/1593077289/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374766042&sr=1-1&keywords=rhymes+with+lust">It Rhymes With Lust</a> by Arnold Drake, Leslie Waller and Matt Baker</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Bucky-Old-Wounds/dp/0785160841/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376477884&sr=1-1&keywords=bucky+old+wounds">Captain America and Bucky: Old Wounds</a> by Ed Brubaker</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Vol-Winter-Soldier/dp/0785119205/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376477902&sr=1-9&keywords=winter+soldier">Captain America: Winter Soldier, Book One</a> by Ed Brubaker</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Vol-Winter-Soldier/dp/0785119213/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376477902&sr=1-8&keywords=winter+soldier">Captain America: Winter Soldier, Book Two</a> by Ed Brubaker</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Skim-Mariko-Tamaki/dp/088899964X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376478021&sr=1-1&keywords=skim">Skim</a> by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Young-Romance-Simon-Kirbys-Comics/dp/1606995022/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376478072&sr=1-1&keywords=young+romance">Young Romance: The Best of Simon & Kirby's Romance Comics</a> by Joe Simon, Jack Kirby</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="title" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 6px; text-align: left;">
</h3>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-7248415552319878162013-07-19T17:43:00.006-04:002013-12-30T21:19:51.032-05:00Quali and Self-Help Books Or, There's a word you don't hear much any more<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
I recently had a conversation where the word "qualia" came up. In technical writing, of course, this is a great example of a word that could only be used with a very specific audience. I had to scrabbling back to my first year university course, over 40 years ago to dredge it up: it refers to experiences that are inherently private and subjective. A headache is, for instance, an example of qualia, The expression "I see a tree over there" is a an example of a quale (the singular of qualia)while, on the other hand, the expression "There is a tree over there" is not: one statement reflects my internal experience while the other makes a claim about the experiences we share. A description of sound waves isn't part of our qualia while the experience of music is.<br />
<br />
One of the interesting things about qualia is that you can't be wrong about them. You can certainly say "I have a headache" and be lying about it...but you can't be mistaken. No one can say to you "You don't have a headache" because what could that person know that you don't that would put them in a position to disagree.<br />
<br />
When it comes to technical writing we want to explain how something in our shared experience works. And people accept that as the purpose of technical writing: that technical writing explains how things in the objective world that we share work.<br />
<br />
But I think a mark of really successful piece of technical writing is that it changes the way that the reader looks at the world around them: the reader looks at and experiences the world differently after reading the document. When this happens, readers say things like "Oh, now I get it", or "I always wondered how that worked." We often refer to this as the "Aha!" experience--the mental 'click' when a reader 'gets' something about the outside world in a personal, subjective kind of way.<br />
<br />
And I think this is also how self-help books--a kind of technical writing--differ from other kinds of technical writing. Most technical writing is about explaining how the shared, objective world outside of our head works and is only secondarily interested in changing the personal, subjective world of the reader's consciousness. Self-help books, however, are primarily interested in changing the nature of the reader's qualia: how the reader sees the world, thinks about the world, experiences the world.<br />
<br />
And I don't think there's a bright line dividing the two kinds of writing. As is usually the case there's a continuum that begins in "This is how this works," then goes through "You can think about it this way" before it ends up at "You can change your attitude to the world." As a result, I suspect that there's something for technical writers to learn from self-help.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Reading or read</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Alhambra-Washington-Irving/dp/8424128044/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369050713&sr=8-1&keywords=tales+of+the+alahambra">Tales of the Alhambra</a> by Washington Irving</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Celestial-Harmonies-Novel-Peter-Esterhazy/dp/0060501049/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369050745&sr=8-1&keywords=celestial+harmonies">Celestial Harmonies: A Novel</a> by Peter Esterhazy </li>
<li> <a href="http://www.foliosociety.com/book/CEY/crusades-through-arab-eyes">The Crusades Through Arab Eyes</a> by Amin Maalouf </li>
<li><div class="image imageContainer">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Murderess-York-Review-Books-Classics/dp/1590173503/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369965562&sr=8-1&keywords=the+murderess">The Murderess</a> by Alexandros Papadimantis</div>
</li>
<li><a href="http://librivox.org/the-circular-staircase-by-mary-roberts-rinehart/">The Circular Staircase</a> by Mary Roberts Rinehart· </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Penguin-Twentieth-Century-Classics/dp/0140181873/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370309541&sr=8-2&keywords=home+and+world+tagore+penguin">The Home and the World</a> by Rabindranath Tagore </li>
<li><a class="title" href="http://www.amazon.com/Player-Other-Side-Ellery-Queen/dp/0345315510/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370707340&sr=1-1&keywords=the+player+on+the+other+side"><span style="color: #004b91;">The Player on Other Side</span></a> <span class="ptBrand">by <span style="color: #004b91;">Ellery Queen (Theodore Sturgeon)</span></span> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13334">In the Midst of Life/Tales of Soldiers and Civilians</a> by Ambrose Bierce</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Samuel-Beckett/dp/0802150667/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372595128&sr=1-1&keywords=how+it+is">How It Is</a> by Samuel Beckett</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Off-Keck-Road-Mona-Simpson/dp/0375709061/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373755662&sr=1-1&keywords=off+road+simpson">Off Keck Road: A Novella</a> by Mona Simpson</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Margarita-Wordsworth-Classics-Mikhail-Bulgakov/dp/1840226579/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373755693&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=master+and+marguerita+wordsworth">Master and Margarita</a> by Mikhail Bulgakov</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eve-Ivan-Turgenev/dp/1603863028/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373755799&sr=1-2&keywords=on+the+eve">On The Eve</a> by Ivan Turgenev</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Erewhon-Wordsworth-Classics-Samuel-Butler/dp/1853262846/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373755843&sr=1-1&keywords=erewhon+wordsworth">Erewhon</a> by Samuel Butler </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tenth-December-Stories-George-Saunders/dp/0812993802/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373755989&sr=1-1&keywords=december+tenth">Tenth of December: Stories</a> by George Saunders </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Skin-Room-Sara-Tilley/dp/1897141203/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373756260&sr=1-1&keywords=the+skin+room+tilley">Skin Room</a> by Sara Tilley</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Microserfs-Novel-P-S-Douglas-Coupland/dp/0061624268/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373756209&sr=1-1&keywords=microserfs">Microserfs: A Novel (P.S.)</a> by Douglas Coupland</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Faraway-Nearby-Rebecca-Solnit/dp/0670025968/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374249626&sr=1-1&keywords=the+faraway+nearby">The Faraway Nearby</a> by Rebecca Solnit</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yacoubian-Building-Alaa-Al-Aswany/dp/0060878134/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374249716&sr=1-1&keywords=the+yacoubian+building">The Yacoubian Building</a> by Alaa Al Aswany</li>
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-75416191933109917732013-05-11T00:00:00.002-04:002013-05-11T00:00:35.045-04:00Why Sam Seaborn is my hero, Or And, C.J., too.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of my (fictional) heroes, Sam Seaborn, demonstrates how presenting information--technical writing--can be done goodly or badly:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Uh4DGUNWmiU?feature=player_detailpage" width="400"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
And, while C. J. Cregg isn't actually writing, she's no slouch at gathering, organizing, and presenting information, either:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/M3DoDMfDa_Q?feature=player_detailpage" width="400"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Reading or read: <br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li> <a href="http://www.foliosociety.com/book/MDV/medieval-comic-tales">Medieval Comic Tales</a> by Derek Brewer </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Endless-Things-Aegypt-Cycle-Crowley/dp/1590200454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365869422&sr=8-1&keywords=endless+things">Endless Things</a> by John Crowley</li>
<li><a href="http://www.foliosociety.com/book/TWN/mark-twain-collected-stories">Mark Twain Collected Stories</a> by Mark Twain </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Fairy-Tales-Vintage-Classics/dp/0099511444/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366103240&sr=8-1&keywords=vintage+grimm">The Complete Fairy Tales</a> by Grimm </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Phineas-Penguin-Classics-Anthony-Trollope/dp/0140430857/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366103512&sr=8-1&keywords=trollope+phineas+finn+penguin">Phineas Finn</a> by Anthony Trollope </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Orlando-Innamorato-Matteo-Maria-Boiardo/dp/1932559019/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367197170&sr=1-1&keywords=orlando+innamorato">Orlando Innamorato</a> by Matteo Maria Boiardo </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Anything-You-Can-Do/dp/1935774476/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367197221&sr=1-3&keywords=Anything+you+can+do">Anything You Can Do ...</a> by Randall Garrett </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Poems-Fiction-Criticism-Samuel-Beckett/dp/0802118208/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367197280&sr=1-1&keywords=samuel+beckett+criticism+poetry">The Poems, Short Fiction, and Criticism</a> by Samuel Beckett</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Losing-It-A-Novel-ebook/dp/B004JKM686/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368244793&sr=8-1&keywords=losing+it+cumyn">Losing It</a> by Alan Cumyn </li>
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-68244577842484918512013-04-07T22:57:00.005-04:002014-01-03T16:34:49.366-05:00Letting Go of the Language, Or Do you want to speak like William Langland?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The claim that children don't speak the language well enough (meaning: as well as the speaker) has been with us always. The claim is that the speaker's generation will be the last to use the language "correctly" usually because of the incompetence of school system.<br />
<br />
Of course, whenever anyone complains to be about changes in the language I always ask if they'd rather speak like William Shakespeare. I've now got a better example, but I'll never be able to use it. I just finished "Piers Plowman" (c. 1380) by William Langland which includes verse like this (Jesus during the harrowing of Hell, talking to Lucifer and claiming Adam to be taken out of Hell):<br />
<br />
For the dede that thei dide, thi deceite it made;<br />
With gile thow hem gete, ageyn all reson.<br />
For in my paleis, Paradis, in persone of an addre,<br />
Falsliche thow fettest there thyng that I lovede.<br />
'Thus yik a lusard with a lady visage,<br />
Thefliche thow me robbedest; the Olde Lawe graunteth<br />
That gilours be bigiled-and this is god reson:<br />
Dentem pro dent et oculum pro oculo.<br />
Ergo soule shal soule quyte and synne to synne wende. <br />
<br />
Even ignoring the differences in spelling, I'd have trouble navigating "With guile thou him get, again all reason" and "Felony thou fittest there thing that I loved." When I said that I read Piers Plowman, I meant that I read a translation into modern English (I'm a wimp).<br />
<br />
Why can't I switch to saying "Well, do you want to speak the language
as William Langland did?": no one but me will 'get it'. There's no doubt
about it: My life is hell.<br />
<br />
And there's a reason that I'm picking on Langland: I found a passage earlier on in Plowman where Langland complains how learned scholars have lost their purity and, as a result, "Grammar, the very foundation of all learning utterly baffles the children who try to study it. If you look carefully, none of our educated people today know how to write verses that scan or produce a decent piece of composition." Just to be clear, what Langland was complaining about was that children had lost the ability to speak Norman French. That was certainly too bad but, as far as Langland was concerned, the real loss was that these children were also losing the ability to speak Latin because it was Norman French which was used to teach Latin. In other words, Langland was complaining that the kids could only speak English.You know, I'm willing to accept that, this time, the kids really weren't as well educated as the parents.<br />
<br />
Reading or read:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/This-Ladies-Gentlemen-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140186247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363281547&sr=8-1&keywords=this+way+to+the+gas">This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen</a> by Tadeusz Borowski </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cycle-Mystery-Plays-Stanley-Purvis/dp/028103673X/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1363498047&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=9780281036738">York Cycle of Mystery Plays</a> by John Stanley Purvis </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/253-A-Novel-Geoff-Ryman/dp/0312182953/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363643144&sr=8-1&keywords=253">253</a> by Geoff Ryman </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grendel-Archive-Edition-Matt-Wagner/dp/1593077297/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364129985&sr=8-1&keywords=grendel+archives"><span class="lrg bold">Grendel Archive Edition</span></a> <span class="med reg">by Matt Wagner</span> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grendel-Omnibus-Volume-The-Legacy/dp/159582894X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364129949&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=gendel+omnibus+2"><span class="lrg bold">Grendel Omnibus Volume 2: The Legacy</span></a> <span class="med reg">by Matt Wagner, Diana Schutz,</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Grendel-Matt-Wagner/dp/1593078234/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364129905&sr=8-1&keywords=batman%2Fgrendal">Batman/Grendel</a> by Matt Wagner <span class="lrg bold"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blackjacked-Pistol-Whipped-Crime-Does-Primer/dp/1595822909/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1364130031&sr=8-2&keywords=crime+does+not+pay+primer">Blackjacked and Pistol-Whipped: A Crime Does Not Pay Primer</a> by Bob Wood, Various, Charles Biro and Dan Barry<span class="med reg"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clara-Callan-Richard-B-Wright/dp/B000C4SZ9C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364220225&sr=8-1&keywords=clara+callan">Clara Callan</a> by Richard B. Wright</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jakas-Story-Cerebus-Volume-5/dp/0919359124/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364384218&sr=8-1&keywords=jaka%27s+story">Jaka's Story</a> by Dave Sim </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Melmoth-Cerebus-Volume-Dave-Sim/dp/0919359108/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1364384249&sr=8-2&keywords=melmoth">Melmoth</a> by Dave Sim </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Watt-Samuel-Beckett/dp/0802144489/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364866607&sr=8-1&keywords=watt">Watt</a> by Samuel Beckett </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-You-Are-Engulfed-Flames/dp/0316143472/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364866641&sr=8-1&keywords=fire+sedaris">When You Are Engulfed in Flames</a> by David Sedaris </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mercier-Camier-Samuel-Beckett/dp/0802144446/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365389503&sr=8-1&keywords=mercier+beckett">Mercier and Camier</a> by Samuel Beckett </li>
<li><h3 class="newaps">
<span class="med reg"> </span></h3>
<span class="med reg"> </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-28677584543368127092013-03-12T19:33:00.002-04:002013-03-24T09:02:42.983-04:00Technical Writing and ESL, or Doomed! Doomed!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Recently, a friend who knows several languages (one of which is English, but it's not his first language) said that he'd come to realize that his writing wasn't everything he wanted it to be. He wasn't sure if the issues were with his ability as a technical writer or with is command of English. Here's what I wrote back to him.<br />
<br />
Let’s assume that you’re concerned about English grammar, first, because that’s the problem with the most wrinkles in it: <br />
<br />
English grammar is, of course, a nightmare to get exactly right (and you’re probably more aware of that than native English speakers are). Really, unless you learn the language between the ages of 1 and 4—when you have nothing else to do except learn the language—becoming “perfect” in English grammar is a constant struggle. What makes the problem worse is that these issues seem to leap out at readers of written English in a way that doesn’t happen with listeners of spoken English. I guess that’s just another example of how, in speaking, we pay as much attention to the speaker’s tone of voice and body language as we do to the “words actually spoken”; when we read written material we just pay attention to the words and see grammatical errors that we miss in spoken English. So you can be perfectly happy with your performance as, for instance, an instructor and be unhappy with your performance as a writer. <br />
<br />
There’s bad news here: readers overreact to grammatical and spelling errors (“typos”). Readers take grammatical errors as a sign of overall quality (which, as someone who does make grammatical errors, I think is terribly unfair). <br />
<br />
However, the good news is that grammatical issues are trivially easy to fix in a written document: delete this word, rewrite this word, re-arrange these three words. Spotting and/or preventing grammatical errors is harder. You can read more English text (some “learning by osmosis” does take place, apparently), take grammar courses, take courses on anything where you submit written material and get the results back with grammatical errors corrected. I have to tell you, though: getting good at preventing and spotting grammatical errors is a time consuming process and you should expect it to take five years of working on nothing but your grammar to become close to “grammatically perfect.” On the other hand, you’re going to be five years older in five years, anyway… <br />
<br />
The alternative is to find some native English speaker who will correct your written material. This isn’t hard to do: everyone is an expert in something but everyone seems to consider themselves an expert in English grammar. Depending on your work environment, you're probably be surrounded by people who are dying to be asked to fix up your grammatical errors. Reviewing their changes would also provide you with feedback on the systemic errors you’re making and enable you to start eliminating them, one by one. <br />
<br />
Now let’s assume that you’re concerned about effective technical writing: Most people who write technical material assume that what’s important is understanding whatever you’re writing about. That's completely wrong. The most important things in technical writing are: </div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Audience (who are you writing for): What do they already know, what do they care about, etc.</li>
<li>Scenario: What is the audience going to be using the information for?</li>
<li>Purpose: This has two components—Your purpose: What are you trying to do to (or for) your audience? and their purpose: What does your audience want to achieve? We tend to assume that our audience wants to become an expert in the topic when, often, all they want to do is get their part of the job done as quickly and simply as possible.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The bad news here is that fixing the problems from not doing this stuff right are <i>much</i> harder to fix. If you don't get this stuff right, you'll have material you shouldn't have, you'll be presenting material in a way that won't work for your audience, you'll have material in the wrong place and--the hardest problem to fix--you'll just be flat out missing stuff.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The good news here is that while this set of problems is hard to fix, the skills to prevent this set are much easier to learn. While you can take technical writing courses that last a semester (or even as a three year university degree!) for people with your background/experience that would be overkill. There are lots of good courses/books on technical writing that would tell you everything you need to know (I, obviously, think <a href="http://www.learningtree.com/search/search.aspx?q=319" target="_blank">Learning Tree’s course </a>is pretty good because I wrote it). The <a href="http://bonus.learningtree.com/Default.aspx?c=319" target="_blank">Learning Tree bonus site</a> for the course lists four books that I like (again, obviously, I like the last book because I wrote it). I wouldn’t get the first book on the list (Handbook of Technical Writing) as my first book on technical writing--it’s an encyclopedic reference for looking stuff up after you’ve taken a course or read a good book on the subject. Personally, I’d start with the third book: Technical Communication by Burnett. You might find the PDF file on writing effective user manuals helpful: it's sort of "the minimum you should take away from this course".</div>
Reading or read</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ru-A-Novel-Kim-Th%C3%BAy/dp/1608198987/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361235003&sr=8-1&keywords=ru">Ru: A Novel</a> by Kim Thúy </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Novel-Eastern-European-Literature/dp/1564783766/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361235052&sr=8-1&keywords=natural+novel">Natural Novel</a> by Georgi Gospondiv</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Novels-Samuel-Beckett-Centenary-Editions/dp/0802118178/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361234973&sr=8-2&keywords=novels+I+beckett+grove">Murphy</a> by Samuel Beckett</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Schroder-A-Novel-Amity-Gaige/dp/1455512133/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361445215&sr=8-1&keywords=schorder">Schroder</a> by Amity Gaige </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Luck-Trouble-Reacher-Novel/dp/044042335X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362532472&sr=1-1&keywords=bad+luck+and+trouble">Bad Luck and Trouble</a> by Lee Child</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Night-Circus-Erin-Morgenstern/dp/0307744434/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361553017&sr=8-1&keywords=night+circus">The Nig</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Night-Circus-Erin-Morgenstern/dp/0307744434/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361553017&sr=8-1&keywords=night+circus">ht Circus</a> by Erin Morgenstern </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Uncensored-Picture-Dorian-Gray/dp/0674066316/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362052078&sr=8-1&keywords=uncensored+gray">The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray</a> by Oscar Wilde </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Ramayana-Modern-Retelling-Indian/dp/0865476950/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361798224&sr=8-2&keywords=ramayana">The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling</a> by Ramesh Menon</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Q-Novel-Vikas-Swarup/dp/0743267486/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363130954&sr=1-1&keywords=Q+and+A">Q and A</a> by Vikas Swarup </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boris-Davidovich-Eastern-European-Literature/dp/1564782735/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363131019&sr=1-1&keywords=a+tomb+for+boris+davidovich">A Tomb for Boris Davidovich</a> by Danilo Kis</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Geese-New-Canadian-Library/dp/0771099940/ref=sr_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363131130&sr=1-14&keywords=the+wild+goose">Wild Geese</a> by Martha Ostenso</li>
<li> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Place-My-Own-Architecture-Daydreams/dp/0143114743/ref=la_B000AQ74HQ_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1363130984&sr=1-8">A Place of My Own: The Architecture of Daydreams</a> by Michael Pollan</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Piers-Plowman-Translation-B-text-Classics/dp/0199555265/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362251342&sr=8-1&keywords=piers+plowman+schmidt">Piers Plowman (the B-text)</a> by William Langland </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Exercises-Style-New-Directions-Books/dp/0811220354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362314620&sr=8-1&keywords=exercises+in+style">Exercises in Style</a> by Raymond Queneau </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martian-Sends-Postcard-Oxford-Poets/dp/019211896X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361235122&sr=8-1&keywords=a+martian+sends+a+postcard+home">A Martian Sends a Postcard Home</a> by Craig Raine </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nil-Don-Paterson/dp/0571259324/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362532260&sr=1-1&keywords=nil+nil">Nil Nil</a> by Don Paterson </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Over-Prairie-Trails-Philip-Frederick/dp/1444430092/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361445257&sr=8-2&keywords=over+prairie+trails">Over Prairie Trails</a> by Philip Frederick Grove</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grendel-Omnibus-Volume-Hunter-Rose/dp/1595828931/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362052141&sr=8-1&keywords=grendel+omnibus">Grendel Omnibus Volume </a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grendel-Omnibus-Volume-Hunter-Rose/dp/1595828931/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362052141&sr=8-1&keywords=grendel+omnibus">1: Hunter Rose</a> by Matt Wagner </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Houdini-Handcuff-King-Jason-Lutes/dp/0786839031/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362357400&sr=8-1&keywords=houdini+handcuff+king">Houdini: The Handcuff King</a> by Jason Lutes </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flex-Mentallo-Man-Muscle-Mystery/dp/1401232213/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362357431&sr=8-1&keywords=flex+mentalo">Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery</a> by Grant Morrison</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-42639655972536119082013-02-14T14:26:00.002-05:002013-02-14T14:26:29.232-05:00Picking Words, Or P!nk's potty mouth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
I picked up The Truth About Love by P!nk (how <em>exactly</em> do you pronounce that exclamation mark?) and have turned into a big fan. One think to be aware of: P!nk's language is frequently...earthy...for want of a better word. When writing songs, the woman swears. A lot.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, I find this endearing rather than offputting. Makes me feel hip, young, with-it, and "down with the young folk." However, I did see a review of one of P!nk's (gosh, that's hard to type, too) albums where the reviewer commented on P!nk's "potty mouth." That reviewer pointed out that P!nk's song "Fuckin' Perfect" came in two versions. The (I assume) original version's chorus goes like this:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel<br /> Like you're nothing, you're fuckin' perfect to me</span><br />
<br />
However, there's also the "airplay-friendly" version, which goes like this:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel<br /> Like you're nothing, you're perfect, perfect to me</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
The reviewer's claim was that, since it was possible to rewrite the song to eliminate the word "fuckin'", the swear word was unnecessary and shouldn't have been used in the first poit. But I think the reviewer is missing a key point about how this chorus works.There's some intended discontinuity between the start and the end of the chorus, a movement from a childlike hope to a more adult confirmation coupled with a movement from a polite requst to a strong, personal assertion. For that movement to work there has to be a change. Much of that change is between the first three words of the chorus and the last five words.<br />
<br />
The opening of the chorus ("Pretty, pretty please") is child-like/innocent. P!nk (this isn't getting any easier to type) sings that part higher in her register in a more child-like voice than she usually uses. The line-ends in the chorus aren't perfect rhymes ("feel" and "me" rhyme through assonance) which creates some dissonance between the first line and second line all by itself. P!nk sings the last line in an lower register creating more contrast. <br />
<br />
Using "fuckin'" further emphasizes this conflict: it's something that a teenager/adult, rather than a child, would say; it's earthier and more common (in the sense of "lower-class") than the "pretty, pretty please"; "fuckin'" (used in this kind of speech) is an intensifer: it indicates that the speaker really means the following word. While the person being spoken to at the start is implied and not referenced directly, the five words at the end are aimed at "you" making the last five words more personal. The use of "fuckin'" is also more personal speech than the opening line (something that the missing "g" in "fuckin'" also emphasizes by suggesting a particular person's speech pattern). "Fuckin'" also implies sex, again moving to adulthood ("In what way is this person perfect?" "In the fucking way"). That's all lost by removing "fuckin'".<br />
<br />
In addition, by repeating the word "perfect" the differences between the start of the chorus and the end of the chorus is lost and, along with that, the movement. The most obvious change is that words are now repeated both at the beginning and the end of the chorus. While there are similarities in sound between the start and the end (the "p"s in "pretty, pretty" and "perfect") those sounds are interruped at the end by the harsher "k" sound in "fuckin'" at the end. Repeating "perfect" makes the beginning and the end of the chorus look more alike--which defeats what's happening in this couplet.<br />
<br />
This couplet actually inverts what we normally expect: perfection is associated with a child which is what you once were; this chorus suggests that we have achieved perfection as we moved from being a child to an adult.<br />
<br />
I think the reviewer was missing the point: that the airplay-friendly version of the song is a poorer song than the origianl. As a technical writer I don't spend a lot of time worrying about picking exactly the right word but I think Pink (I've given up) did.<br />
<br />
If you're interested in seeing Pink in action, a great place to start is her performance at the Grammys singing her ballad <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3stsDXki__U" target="_blank">"Glitter in the Air"</a>. If nothing else it makes the case that the woman is fearless (and probably does sing better upside down than standing up as she claims). For something a little rockier, I like this live version of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTJjlDEodVo" target="_blank">"Slut Like You"</a> from The Truth About Love album.<br />
<br />
Though, as an unregenerated male, after watching these videos I hope I can be forgiven for thinking about Pink what many men thought about Shania Twain: "All this!?! And I gather she sings, too?".<br />
<br />
Reading or read</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.foliosociety.com/book/BAT/travels-of-ibn-battutah">The Travels</a> by Ibn Battutah</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dewey-Decimal-System-Akashic-Surreal/dp/B007BWAFFK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360189851&sr=1-1&keywords=dewey+decimal+system">The Dewey Decimal System</a> by Nathan Larson </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Church-State-Volume-Cerebus-Book/dp/0919359094/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1360189419&sr=8-3&keywords=church+and+state">Church and State Volume I</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Church-State-Vol-Cerebus/dp/0919359116/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1360189419&sr=8-5&keywords=church+and+state"> and II</a> by Dave Sim </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/KJV-Scourby-Complete-Bible-Audio/dp/0899575951/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360189579&sr=8-1&keywords=bible+scourby">Epistles of Paul, Mark, Matthew, Luke, Acts of the Apostles, John</a> by Various </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yellow-Tulips-1968-2011-James-Fenton/dp/0571273823/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360189664&sr=1-1&keywords=yellow+tulips">Yellow Tulips: Poems 1968-2011</a> by James Fenton</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Steampunk-Victorian-Futurism-Jay-Strongman/dp/1907621032/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360189695&sr=1-7&keywords=steampunk">Steampunk: The Art of Victorian Futurism</a> by Jay Strongman </li>
<li> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Three-Men-Boat-Jerome-K/dp/1480227234/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360189753&sr=1-1&keywords=three+men+and+a+boat">Three Men in a Boat</a> by Jerome K. Jerome </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/After-Golden-Age-Carrie-Vaughn/dp/B006W3ZSY2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360189781&sr=1-1&keywords=after+the+golden+age">After the Golden Age</a> by Carrie Vaughn</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Drina-Phoenix-Fiction/dp/0226020452/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360189815&sr=1-1&keywords=bridge+over+the+river+drina">The Bridge on the Drina</a> by Ivo Andric </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cerebus-Number-Zero-June-1993/dp/B001AU41WW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1360710888&sr=8-2&keywords=cerebus%3A+book+zero">Cerebus Number Zero</a> by Dave Sim </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Duet-Three-US-Joan-Barfoot/dp/0886194164/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360710930&sr=1-3&keywords=duet+for+three">Duet for Three</a> by Joan Barfoot<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Joan-Barfoot/e/B001HPLSAI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1360710930&sr=1-3"></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Annotated-Dracula-Bram-Stoker/dp/0393064506/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360710966&sr=1-1&keywords=annotated+dracula">The New Annotated Dracula</a> by Bram Stoker, Leslie S. Klinger </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374275637/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360711021&sr=1-1&keywords=Thinking+fast+and+slow">Thinking, Fast and Slow</a> by Daniel Kahneman<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Kahneman/e/B001ILFNQG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1360711021&sr=1-1"></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clockmaker-Sayings-Slickville-Canadian-Library/dp/0771096259/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360711350&sr=1-13&keywords=The+clockmaker">The Clockmaker</a> by Thomas Chandler Haliburton</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chester-Mystery-Plays-Drama-Library/dp/0435234153/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360859441&sr=8-1&keywords=chester+mystery+hussey"><span class="lrg bold"><span style="color: #004b91;">Chester Mystery Plays</span></span></a> <span class="med reg">by Maurice Hussey</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-14406464972905181772013-01-17T13:45:00.003-05:002013-01-21T17:40:56.953-05:00Analogies and Metaphors, Or Leading the reader into error<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<![endif]-->My friend Russ Lewis sent me this quote recently:<br />
<br />
“The great thing about metaphor is you can find a little bit of everything in anything. The problem with metaphor is that there is only a so much of anything in everything.” <br />
<br />
I think there's a lot of insight in here. This is, for instance, the fundamental flaw in “reasoning by analogy” where someone says is “X is like Y,” then goes on to say “doing A with Y is obviously wrong/stupid/impossible,” and finishes by saying that, as a result, “A should be wrong/stupid/impossible with X, also”. As Russ' quote points out that almost anything can be said (in some sense) to be like something else. Often the comparison is often strained (“how is a raven like a writing desk?”) and people are suspicious of those. But that just means that it’s the analogies that seem plausible ‘on their face’ that are dangerous (“a country is like a big family”—well, no, it’s not and is not in many critical ways) when used to draw a conclusion. <br />
<br />
Where analogies are useful are where they make you look at something in a new way. The analogy highlights some feature or purpose of the target that you might otherwise ignore or gives you a new approach to dealing with the target (often the ‘strained’ analogies are the most valuable because they are more likely to give you a genuinely new insight). What makes analogies is that initial “A-ha!” experience where you experience the rush of a new insight: “My gosh, that’s right—and this is useful”. That initial inspiration can then lead you to push the analogy too far and lead you into error. <br />
<br />
Metaphors are the most insidious of analogies because unlike similes which are flagged with an explicit “like” or “as” keyword (as in my lake/saint example), metaphors aren’t flagged in the language. In fact, it’s almost impossible to speak English without using metaphors (though many of them are dead). We’ve already spoken of “anything in everything” as if these abstract concepts were somehow packed inside each other like presents in boxes and “insightful” as if we were physically seeing into something that was obscured before (and there’s the metaphor of “understanding” as “seeing”). <br />
<br />
There is a defense: For an analogy to be genuinely useful without being dangerous, it’s critical to specify in what ways the analogy works: “a pretty lake is like a saint in that….”). Going on to specify where** the analogy doesn’t work is also a good idea as people don’t tend to think “Oh, I can only use this analogy within the specified limits”—people often need to be explicitly told that “This analogy stops here.” <br />
<br />
A trite metaphor is one that gives you an insight that you’ve already had and is, in fact, commonly known. <br />
_______________________________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
**notice the metaphor implied by “where” as suggesting physical locations in space—I’m surprised I didn’t talk about “fencing off” the analogy <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Reading or read</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://librivox.org/the-prisoner-of-zenda-by-anthony-hope/">The Prisoner of Zenda</a> by Anthony Hope </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Selected-Poems-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199554013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358005015&sr=8-1&keywords=verlaine%3A+selected+poems">Selected Poems</a> by Paul Verlaine </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Comics-The-Untold-Story/dp/0061992100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358005060&sr=8-1&keywords=untold+story+marvel">Marvel Comics: The Untold Story</a> by Sean Howe </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Lifespan-Fact-John-DAgata/dp/0393340732/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358005085&sr=8-1&keywords=lifespan+of+a+fact">The Lifespan of a Fact</a> by John D'Agata and Jim Fingal </li>
<li> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Red-Sorghum-A-Novel-China/dp/0140168540/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358005111&sr=8-1&keywords=red+sorghum">Red Sorghum</a> by Mo Yan </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Seuss-Co-War-Editorial/dp/1595584706/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358005162&sr=8-1&keywords=Dr.+seuss+%26+company+go+to+war">Dr. Seuss & Co. Go to War</a> by Andre Shiffren </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Back-Alleys-Urban-Landscapes-Michael/dp/1770460802/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358005222&sr=8-1&keywords=back+alleys+and+urban+landscapes">Back Alleys and Urban Landscapes</a> by Michael Cho</li>
<li> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Robbery-under-arms-Australian-goldfields/dp/B0006C5ZX4/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358005292&sr=1-2&keywords=robbery+under+arms">Robbery Under Arms</a> by Rolf Boldrewood </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Signal-Noise-Many-Predictions-Fail/dp/159420411X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358005342&sr=1-1&keywords=the+signal+and+the+noise">The Signal and the Noise</a> by Nate Silver</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rocketeer-Complete-Adventures-Dave-Stevens/dp/1600105386/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358005376&sr=1-1&keywords=rocketeer+complete">The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures</a> by Dave Stevens</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Translations-Pound-Enlarged-Ezra/dp/0811201643/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358005427&sr=1-2&keywords=ezra+pound+translations">Ezra Pound: Translations</a> by Ezra Pound </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Gospels-Meant-Garry-Wills/dp/B002HREKN2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358005484&sr=1-1&keywords=what+the+gospels+meant">What the Gospels Meant</a> by Garry Wills </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/100-Contemporary-Artists-Taschen/dp/B00585HE1K/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358005551&sr=1-2&keywords=100+contemporary+artists">100 Contemporary Artists</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Collected-Stories-Volumes-IV/dp/B003U2V0Z4/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349210930&sr=1-5&keywords=stories+chekhov+folio">The Collected Stories, Volumes I - IV</a> by Anton Chekhov </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dramatic-Works-Samuel-Beckett-Centenary/dp/0802118194/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358448259&sr=1-1&keywords=samuel+beckett+dramatic+works">The Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett</a> by Samuel Beckett </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ludwig-Wittgenstein-Conversations-Aesthetics-Anniversary/dp/0520251814/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358448158&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=wittgenstien+lectures+and+conversations">Ludwig Wittgenstein: Lectures and Conversations on Aesthetics, Psychology and Religious Belief</a><span class="med reg"> by Ludwig Wittgenstein<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ludwig-Wittgenstein/e/B000APXRL4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1358448158&sr=8-1-spell"></a></span> </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
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Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-393828284088047572012-12-29T15:59:00.001-05:002012-12-29T15:59:21.323-05:00Better Design Or, Just don't do it<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I put up the Christmas lights this week, I thought about how much technical writing--especially in user manuals--would just go away if things were better designed for their audience. I'm not suggesting about putting myself out of business...but product design that was better targeted for the product's users would let me spend my time talking about stuff that really does need explanation.<br />
<br />
For instance: timers for lights. Timers for lights inside the house support having lights come on and off repeatedly throughout the day. This doesn't make a lot of sense for the inside Christmas lights but these timers are also used to make a house looked "lived in" when the occupants are away for a few days (the timers cause the lights come on in the morning, go off a few hours later, come back on in the evening, etc.)<br />
<br />
But, for outdoor Christmas lights, you don't need that much sophistication. All the user wants is to have he lights come on in the evening, stay on for a few hours, and then go off until they come on at the same time the next day. While you can get very sophisticated dedicated devices, I typically get a device design to be used with a block heater (for those of you living where you don't get Canadian winters: a block heater is a device you put in your car's motor to heat the engine block up so that your car will start even in very cold weather). These devices allow the user to set the time that the light is to come on and how long the light is to stay on (or to specify a time to turn off). The current block heaters have reduced the user interface to two buttons (sometimes, just one) and a numeric display (some times two digits, sometimes just one). Some explanation of how to use this UI is required in the accompanying user manual.<br />
<br />
But even that supplies more functionality than users need. Christmas lights are used for only a few weeks, at most. Over that time, the sun sets--the point at which the lights should come one--at roughly the same time very day. And, quite frankly, I don't feel a passionate desire to control the duration: anywhere from 4 to 6 hours is fine with me. I don't need as much control as the block heater timers I'm using provide me.<br />
<br />
And, somewhere in the world, people who create light-up Christmas decorations have figured this out. For instance, my wife picked up a battery powered Christmas wreath that has a switch with three settings: On, Off, and Timer. Turning the switch to "Timer" causes the lights to come on, stay on for 6 hours, turn off, and come on again in 18 hours (i.e.at the same time the next day as when I first set the switch to "Timer"). This wreath wouldn't work for a commercial firm that needed to turn on multiple wreaths distribute over a large area at sunset on the first day--but it's fine for a home owner who needs to turn a few switches in a single home.<br />
<br />
With this design, the instructions boil down to one sentence of instruction and one sentence of reassurance (and I bet that both sentences could be made both better and shorter):<br />
<br />
To have the lights come on at the same time very day and stay on for six hours: Turn the switch to "Timer" on the first day at the time you want the lights to come on. As long as you leave the switch at "Timer" the lights will come on at the same time each day and turn themselves off after six hours.<br />
<br />
<br />
Reading or read<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Catch-22-Anniversary-Edition-Joseph-Heller/dp/1451626657/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356105119&sr=8-1&keywords=catch-22">Catch-22: 50th Anniversary Edition</a> by Joseph Heller</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Stranger-World-Steve-Ditko/dp/1560979216/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1356105135&sr=8-5&keywords=ditko">Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko</a> by Blake Bell </li>
<li> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/100-Contemporary-Artists-Taschen-Anniversary/dp/3836514907/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356105807&sr=1-1&keywords=100+contemporary+artists">100 Contemporary Artists (Taschen 25 Anniversary)</a> by Hans Werner Holzwarth</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Impressionists-Elizabeth-M-Montgomery/dp/1572153628/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356105193&sr=1-7&keywords=American+Impressionists">American Impressionists</a> by Elizabeth M. Montgomery</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prosperous-Friends-Christine-Schutt/dp/0802120385/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356105223&sr=1-1&keywords=Prosperous+Friends">Prosperous Friends</a> by Christine Schutt</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Powers-Vol-Killed-Retro-Girl/dp/0785156712/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356105240&sr=1-1&keywords=who+killed+retro">Who Killed Retro Girl?</a> by Brian Michael Bendis</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Masterworks-Golden-Captain-America/dp/0785128786/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356105264&sr=1-5&keywords=Golden+Age+Captain+America%2C+Volume+3">Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America Vol. 3</a> by Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, et al.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-Society-Cerebus-Dave-Sim/dp/0919359078/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356105534&sr=1-1&keywords=high+society+sims">High Society</a> by G. Dave Sim</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Soldiers-Victory-Vol-1/dp/1401209254/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356105641&sr=1-1&keywords=seven+soldiers+morrison">Seven Soldiers of Victory, Vol. 1</a> by Gran Morrison</li>
<li> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eugene-Onegin-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199538646/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356105364&sr=1-1&keywords=eugene+onegin+arndt">Eugene Onegin: A Novel in Verse</a> by Alexander Pushkin </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Arsene-Lupin-Gentleman-Thief-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143104861/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356105496&sr=1-1&keywords=arsene+lupin+penguin">Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Thief</a> by Maurince Leblanc </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Raffles-Amateur-Cracksman-Penguin-Classics/dp/0141439335/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356105607&sr=1-1&keywords=Raffles+cracksman">Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman</a> by E.W. Hornung</li>
<li> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doomsday-Book-Connie-Willis/dp/0553562738/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356105673&sr=1-1&keywords=domesday+book+connie+willis">Doomsday Book</a> by Connie Willis</li>
<li> <a href="http://librivox.org/the-prisoner-of-zenda-by-anthony-hope/">The Prisoner of Zenda</a> by Anthony Hope</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pattern-Language-Buildings-Construction-Environmental/dp/0195019199/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356105758&sr=1-1&keywords=a+pattern+language">A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Cess Center for Environmental)</a> by Christopher Alexander</li>
</ul>
<br /></div>
Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-29154497238514795242012-12-05T02:49:00.002-05:002012-12-05T02:49:22.575-05:00Word Choice and Grammar or, It's not a problem<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
I was teaching my technical writing course for Learning Tree last week and we had a young woman in the class from China. When we got to the final exercise--about 600 words aimed a recent immigrant on how to survive a Chinese wedding party dinner--her document contained numerous grammatical mistakes (mostly around plurals) and at least one unfortunate word choice (in suggesting that guests wear formal outfits, she suggested a tuxedo for the man...and a nightgown for the woman).<br />
<br />
It was a great document to end the course with because (a) it gave us a chance to laugh at ourselves and (b) it made a great point that I keep hammering away on in the course: those errors don't really matter. I'm not denying that they needed to be fixed--a final pass by an idiomatic English speaker was definitely required. But the changes were trivial: add an "s" here, change "nightgown" to "evening gown." The content was spot on, there was an excellent balance of given and new, the organization was great. All the things that would require real time to fix or force a significant rewrite were taken care of.<br />
<br />
What's too bad about this is how readers react to the errors that were present. Readers take the presence of the kind of trivial errors that were in this document as measures of overall quality. So much poorer documents than the one that this student produced would be more highly valued than this document. It emphasizes that the final pass through a document has to be a proofing pass to remove these kinds of "dissatisfiers."<br />
<br />
I suspect, though, that the reason that I feel this is so wrong is that I am so bad at proofing my own work (so bad that no one would ever ask me to proof someone else's work). <br />
<br />
Reading or read</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Selected-Poems-Mary-Oliver/dp/0807068187/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353111165&sr=1-5&keywords=mary+oliver+new+selected">New and Selected Poems</a> by Mary Oliver</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Red-Harvest-Dashiell-Hammett/dp/0679722610/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352636565&sr=8-1&keywords=red+harvest">Red Harvest</a> by Dashiell Hammett</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Family-News-Joan-Barfoot/dp/359613045X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354185812&sr=8-2&keywords=family+news+barfoot">Family News</a> by Joan Barfoot</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Homo-Faber-Report-Max-Frisch/dp/0156421356/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352635631&sr=8-1&keywords=homo+faber">Homo Faber: A Report</a> by Max Frisch </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Republic-Wine-Novel-Mo-Yan/dp/1611457297/ref=la_B00456NMNM_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1352895302&sr=1-5">The Republic of Wine</a> by Mo Yan</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Visit-Goon-Squad-Jennifer-Egan/dp/0307477479/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352895129&sr=8-1&keywords=visit+from+the+goon+squad">A Visit from the Goon Squad</a> by Jennifer Egan</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Can-You-Forgive-Vintage-Classics/dp/0099528649/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354186479&sr=8-1&keywords=can+you+forgive+her">Can You Forgive Her?</a> by Anthony Trollope</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Highways-Journey-into-America/dp/0316353299/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353771456&sr=1-1&keywords=blue+highways">Blue Highways: A Journey into America</a> by William Least Heat-Moon</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Just-Kids-Patti-Smith/dp/0060936223/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353771169&sr=8-1&keywords=just+kids">Just Kids</a> by Patti Smith</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/David-Boring-Daniel-Clowes/dp/0375714529/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353771368&sr=8-1&keywords=david+boring">David Boring</a> by Daniel Clowes</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Underwater-Welder-Jeff-Lemire/dp/1603090746/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353771393&sr=8-1&keywords=underwater+welder">The Underwater Welder</a> by Jeff Lemire</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Horror-Comic-Books-Government-Didnt/dp/0810955954/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353771497&sr=1-1&keywords=the+horror+the+horror">The Horror! The Horror!: Comic Books the Government Didn't Want You to Read!</a> by Jim Trombetta</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blackhawk-Archives-Vol-Archive-Editions/dp/1563897008/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352635486&sr=1-1&keywords=blackhawk+archives">The Blackhawk Archives, Vol. 1 (DC Arch</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blackhawk-Archives-Vol-Archive-Editions/dp/1563897008/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352635486&sr=1-1&keywords=blackhawk+archives">ive Editions)</a> by DC Comics</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Masterworks-Golden-Daring-Mystery/dp/0785133631/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352635298&sr=1-2-fkmr1&keywords=daring+mystery+comics+golden-age+vol.+2">Marvel Masterworks Golden Age Daring Mystery 2</a> by Marvel Comics </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Masterworks-Golden-Comics-Presents/dp/0785124748/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352635381&sr=1-5&keywords=Marvel+Masterworks%3A+Golden+Age+Marvel+comics">Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics - Volume 4 </a> by Marvel Comics </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cells-Ourselves-Tony-Urquhart/dp/0889841144/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352635426&sr=1-1&keywords=cells+of+ourselves">Cells of Ourselves</a> by Tony Urquhart </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Apart-Symbolic-Landscapes-Urquhart/dp/B009ZJ31F8/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352635459&sr=1-2&keywords=symbolic+landscapes+of+tony+Urquhart">Worlds Apart: The Symbolic Landscapes of Tony Urq</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Apart-Symbolic-Landscapes-Urquhart/dp/B009ZJ31F8/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352635459&sr=1-2&keywords=symbolic+landscapes+of+tony+Urquhart">uhart.</a> by Joan M. Vastokas </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prado/dp/8866370940/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353111552&sr=1-1&keywords=9788866370949">Prado</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marine-Corps-Counterinsurgency-Field-Manual/dp/0226841510/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352895250&sr=8-1&keywords=counter-insurgency+field+manual">The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual</a> <br /> </li>
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Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-14134024238258090422012-11-05T15:33:00.002-05:002014-07-06T18:50:52.560-04:00Yay! Lydia Callis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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That's all I wanted to say.<br />
<br />
Reading or read</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Years-Peter-Stamm/dp/1590513940/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351532342&sr=8-1&keywords=seven+years">Seven Years</a> by Peter Stamm </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tumbleweed-Grijpstra-Mystery-Janwillem-Wetering/dp/1569470189/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351532315&sr=8-1&keywords=tumbleweeds+wettering">Tumbleweed</a> by Janwillem van de Wetering </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Smallbone-Deceased-Michael-Gilbert/dp/1601870353/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351532289&sr=8-1&keywords=smallbone+deceased">Smallbone Deceased</a> by Michael Gilbert</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Who-Loved-Children/dp/0312280440/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351532371&sr=8-1&keywords=the+man+who+loved+children">The Man Who Loved Children: A Novel</a> by Christina Stead</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Should-Person-Be-Novel/dp/0805094725/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351956263&sr=8-1&keywords=how+is+a+person+to+be">How Should a Person Be?: A Novel from Life</a> by Sheila Heti </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eustace-Chisholm-Works-James-Purdy/dp/B000CEXTTS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351956288&sr=8-1&keywords=chisholm+works">Eustace Chisholm and the Works</a> by James Purdy </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/DAEMONOMANIA-Aegypt-Cycle-Vol-3/dp/1590200446/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351956345&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=daemonania">Daemonomainia</a> by John Crowley</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Scrapbook-Value-Publishing/dp/0517517566/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351956383&sr=1-1&keywords=sherlock+holmes+scrapbook">Sherlock Holmes Scrapbook</a> by Peter Haining</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Annals-Parish-Ayrshire-Legatees-Classic/dp/B0093DI7PU/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352147574&sr=1-2&keywords=john+galt+parish+legatees">Annals of the Parish: And the Ayrshire Legatees (Classic Reprint)</a> by John Galt </li>
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<span class="med reg"> </span></h3>
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Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360388507806136635.post-81161550070361259802012-10-27T11:02:00.007-04:002013-01-12T10:32:53.386-05:00Identity and Anonymity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Not really a technical writing issue, but: Looking at all the concern about Internet privacy, I'm wondering if we're all missing the point. Maybe it would make more sense to approach the problem from the point of view of ensuring anonymity? After all, I don't really care if the details of my bank account become available provided that those details aren't associated with my name. I notice that, when people do worry about internet privacy, often what they worry about is "identity theft"--perhaps our goal should be to keep everyone's identity hidden.<br />
<br />
Of course, ensuring anonymity isn't a trivial task. I'm told that 70% of the people who post frequently on several forums can be identified from the content of their postings (especially if they use the same name on all of the forums they post to). Still, I would think that disconnecting your "real world" identity from your "Internet identity" is easier than trying to keep everything hidden especially when the point of the Internet is to create a universal public place. <br />
<br />
And I think that there are benefits here: the enourmous amount of data that would become available for analysis to help us understand what the world is doing would, all by itself, be a valuable resource--ideally, one accessible to everyone. The downside is that, as we've discovered, when people think that they're anonymous, they do <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/18/us/internet-troll-apology/index.html">terrible things</a>. I think I'm OK with that trade-off: people will do terrible things, anyway.<br />
<br />
The novel "The Quantum Thief" suggests a world where revealing yourself is something under the control of the individual. Even when walking through the world, people decide how much to reveal about themselves and to whom. Perhaps that's a good way to go.<br />
<br />
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Reading or read:</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stiff-Curious-Lives-Human-Cadavers/dp/0393324826/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351349267&sr=1-1&keywords=stiff">Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers</a> by Mary Roach </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sargents-Daughters-Biography-Erica-Hirshler/dp/0878467424/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351349303&sr=1-1&keywords=biography+of+a+painting">Sargent's Daughters: The Biography of a Painting</a> by Erica E. Hirshler </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Annotated-Huckleberry-Finn-Adventures-Sawyers/dp/B001F7APFW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351349339&sr=1-1&keywords=annotated+tom+sawyer">The Annotated Huckleberry Finn</a> by Mark Twain, Michael Patrick Hearn </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Return-Amalgam-Comics-Collection-Paperback/dp/B0084P880C/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351349462&sr=1-2&keywords=return+to+the+amalgam">Return to the Amalgam Age of Comics (The DC Comics Collection)</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-New-Messages-Joshua-Cohen/dp/1555976182/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351349492&sr=1-1&keywords=four+messages">Four New Messages</a> by Joshua Cohen</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Superfluous-Man-Ivan-Turgenev/dp/1161428488/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351349513&sr=1-1&keywords=diary+of+a+superfluous+man">The Diary Of A Superfluous Man</a> by Ivan Turgenev</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Whatever-Happened-World-Tomorrow-Brian/dp/1419704419/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351349567&sr=1-1&keywords=whatever+happened+to+the+world+of+tomorrow">Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?</a> by Brian Fies</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Solitudes-Penguin-Classics-Luis-Gongora/dp/0143106724/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351349591&sr=1-2&keywords=the+solitudes">The Solitudes</a> by Luis de Gongora,</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reivers-William-Faulkner/dp/0679741925/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351349619&sr=1-1&keywords=the+reivers">The Reivers</a> by William Faulkner </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/SEASONS-POEM-JAMES-THOMPSON/dp/B009FST8WE/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351349859&sr=1-4&keywords=the+seasons+james+thompson">The Seasons: A Poem</a> by James Thompson</li>
<li><a href="http://librivox.org/fanny-hill-memoirs-of-a-woman-of-pleasure-by-john-cleland/">Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure</a> by John Cleland</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Building-Stories-Chris-Ware/dp/0375424334/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351349957&sr=1-1&keywords=building+stories">Building Stories</a> by Chris Ware </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Darwin-Life-Poems-Ruth-Padel/dp/0375711929/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351349987&sr=1-2&keywords=the+darwin+poems">Darwin: A Life in Poems</a> by Ruth Padel</li>
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Peter Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874311352104610121noreply@blogger.com0