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* A guide to acronyms and word abbreviations you'll want to know for online use (1) *
Here's a handy list. If you've ever felt left out by your kids, here's an insider guide. Part 2 -- "A" to "L"
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* A guide to acronyms and word abbreviations you'll want to know for online use (2) *
Part two. . . "M" to "Z"
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* Washington Post's Style Invitational, 2006 *
This year's top newly coined words.
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*South Park goes South...again *
Banned by Comedy Central from showing an image of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the creators of South Park skewered their own network for hypocrisy in the cartoon's most recent episode.
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*The Washington Post's Ploy on Words *
Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.
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A eulogy for the cranky Alberta Report *
Sixty-hour work weeks were common, the publisher was crusty and budgets tiny, SHAWN McCARTHY recalls, but young journalists were given a chance to shine
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A plea for the plausible in historical novels *
The American novelist Edmund White published an essay in a recent issue of the Times Literary Supplement -- the most highbrow review of books in the commercial media -- that addresses issues all writers of fiction have grappled with.
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A refuge for writers who are too lonely for words *
Virginia Woolf believed that one of the keys to a writer's success is having a room of one's own. But in New York, where struggling writers routinely refer to a single room as, you know, their apartment, the probability of a space set aside for writing is as elusive as a legal place in the city to smoke and drink at the same time.
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All's well that begins well *
A young rookie playwright had the gall to send his first effort to the Stratford Festival, MICHAEL POSNER writes. Nicolas Billon's play premieres there this summer.
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André Alexis: A nomad at play in radio land *
Given carte blanche by the CBC to try his hand at writing for radio, author ANDRÉ ALEXIS discovered it's all about voice.
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Anne Rice: Ah-oooo: The vampire is dead *
Somewhere in a dark smoky bar, a pasty Goth must be slumped over a glass of absinthe, weeping. Even though its snarly grip on popular culture seemed immortal, it appears that the vampire mystique has finally been sucked dry.
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Beijing bans Da Vinci Code *
The decision to protect the national film industry came two weeks after Catholic protests against the screening of the film in Beijing were branded as "medieval."
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Bonnie gets the Star treatment *
Vanity Fair has pushed the envelope of cattiness with its latest profile of Canadian-born celebrity magazine editor Bonnie Fuller.
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Café life in Paris *
Famous literary haunts are perfect places to seek out the city's artistic legacy -- or to simply watch the world go by. . .
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Canadian authors' fame spreads worldwide *
'There's a way that children's books are . . . telling people about Canada,' author Tim Wynne-Jones tells LUMA MUHTADIE
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CBC is the problem: Salutin *
The Cherry crisis: The Don Cherry crisis is not about Don Cherry. It's about the CBC. Nor is it a crisis, it is a chronic problem: The CBC's connection to popular culture, in the sense of "mass" or "vulgar."
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Conservatives Pick Soft Target: A Cartoon Sponge *
On the heels of electoral victories barring same-sex marriage, some influential conservative Christian groups are turning their attention to a new target: the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.
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Controversy heats up over Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 *
Embattled filmmaker Michael Moore, facing an apparent refusal by the Walt Disney Co. to distribute his latest documentary, is expected in Toronto this morning as the keynote speaker at an environmental conference.
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Copyrights for freelance writers *
As writers with many freelance clients, my husband John and I are frequently asked how to set standards for dealing with editors, and how much of our work is owned when we pass our work along to publication.
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CRTC muzzles Quebec shock jock *
He's been sued, criticized and isolated, but outspoken Quebec City radio host André Arthur is not about to clam up — not yet. He may just run in the next federal election.
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Cruise is 'Goebbels of Scientology,' says German church *
It claimed the actor was using his celebrity status to publicize the controversial -- and faux-religion -- Church of Scientology, of which he is a prominent member. . .
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Dastardly Deeds: The Mis-adventures of Captain Copyright *
It's a bird, It's a plane...it's a conveniently censored, holier than thou, flying A-hole!
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David Adams Richards: Virtuoso of inebriation **** 1/2
In close to 20 novels, David Adams Richards has created a rich cast of outsiders, many of whom struggle with addiction. He talks to SANDRA MARTIN about the seductive lure of drinking and smoking, and the love of writing that helped him overcome his own demons
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Death in Bath *
Necrologists believe that there are more things in heaven and under the earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy, and those things are worth a spirited debate.
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Dr. Seuss: Green eggs and subversion *
In a world of Dick and Jane readers, Theodor Seuss Geisel created delicately coded indictments of rampant consumerism, nuclear proliferation and the evils of Nazi Germany. SARAH MILROY tells the story of a man who helped teach millions of young fans to read between the rhymes.
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Excuse me, your grammar is dangling *
No column I have written in the past three years has provoked as much response as did the two I published this year on common grammatical errors. I have said outrageous things in this space: I expected to be pilloried for my views on drug use; I expected to be publicly executed for my views on marriage. I had almost no response of any stripe about those things. My inflammatory rages fell into a deep silent void, and no echo came back. And yet, I have a stack of letters on my desk -- I mean a real stack, about six pounds' worth -- of painstakingly handwritten letters from people (many of them retired teachers) who are thinking about grammar as much as I am, and thinking about it, apparently, all the time. It is impressive, and refreshing, to see how much passion is tied up in this pursuit.
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Faulkner? Well, not quite *
A Virginia man's wordy parody of Goldilocks and the Three Bears was neither too serious nor too silly, but just right — and judges selected his spoof as the winner of the 14th annual Faux Faulkner contest.
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Frances Partridge passes away at 103 *
Diarist Frances Partridge, last survivor of the literary Bloomsbury Group's most famous love quadrangle, has died at the age of 103.
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Frankenfood: Science losing the agitprop battle *
There are now 19,600 references to Frankenfood in Google, and that number that does not capture the terms larger effectiveness as a way of demonizing genetically engineered food.
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Garber Gastronomic: The real skinny on critics: How we do what we do...and why *
Food writers and restaurant critics like me (and my evalu8.org colleagues) are frequently asked how we weigh the merits of the places we review.
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Garber on Business: How to get the media exposure you (think you) deserve *
Nothing annoys a member of the media -- whether they're in print or electronic media -- more than hearing the word "ad." Few of us ever write anything even mildly approaching "advertorial," and we resent the suggestion that our precious words could possibly be up for sale.
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Garber on Business: Writing -- Breaking into the world of trade magazines *
Everything from finding new markets to writing your first query letter is summarized here.
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Group calls for Thunder boycott *
Politically correct win first round of silly protest, but fail to gain a sense of humour.
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Groups call for ban on Fox News slogan *
Fox News' use of the slogan "Fair and Balanced" constitutes deceptive advertising, two political-advocacy groups said Monday in a petition filed with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
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How to be the American Idol of Writing *
2002 Maui Writers Conference Uncovers A Wealth of Writing Talent
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How to write a successful press release *
Everything you need to know to write an effective press release -- and get results. . .
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Humourists hold court in the Big Apple *
You don't get standup comedy at the New Yorker Festival's humour revue -- just great writing.
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If you don't like Don, change the channel: Bobby Orr *
I'm writing in response to the recent controversy surrounding comments made by Don Cherry...
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Indigo pulls controversial Harper's off the shelves *
Canada's largest retail bookseller has removed all copies of the June issue of Harper's Magazine from its 260 stores, claiming an article by New York cartoonist Art Spiegelman could foment protests similar to those that occurred this year in reaction to the publication in a Danish newspaper of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed
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Is SpongeBob gay? *
The producer of a music video for children, featuring scores of their TV heroes ranging from the Muppets to SpongeBob SquarePants, says he's astounded the project has been assailed by some conservatives as a cunning attempt to advocate homosexuality.
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iUniverse *
The world's biggest independent publishing source -- and a big bookstore of hard-to-find titles.
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Jonathan Raban: A stranger in Seattle ****
Acclaimed British author Jonathan Raban still doesn't feel at home after 13 years in the Pacific Northwest, but that's actually helpful to a writer who has always felt like an outsider, he tells ALEXANDRA GILL
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Kate Taylor: The rising fear of getting dumb and dumber *
The American intelligentsia is anxious these days. Perhaps it's because of Iraq: The intellectuals know they are brighter and better informed than George Bush, but damned if he hasn't outsmarted them. There is no direct link between Al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein, there are no weapons of mass destruction, but Bush has won the hearts and minds of the American public nonetheless.
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Keeping the Lights on at The Bright One *
Sometimes a story comes along that is so well-written, that we just have to write to request the chance to share it with our readers. This is such a piece -- by Dennis Byrne as seen in the Chicago Daily Observer. Enjoy!
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Lucy Maud provision fades out *
An obscure but controversial clause -- the so-called Lucy Maud Montgomery provision -- in an otherwise popular legislative bill has apparently met a demise that's rife with almost as many questions as its birth.
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Lynn Coady: A case of made-in-Canada writer chill *
Last summer, south of the Canadian border -- in the land of racial profiling and the proposed Patriot Act -- friends of Ontario writers Marsha Boulton and Stephen Williams were horrified at what they were hearing. The couple had made an impromptu trip to New York, not so much out of a burning desire to see these old acquaintances but, they explained to their friends, to "escape the persecution."
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Margaret Atwood: 'I left Ottawa in a packsack' *
MARGARET ATWOOD talks about her early life experiences, after delivering Carleton University's Kesterton Lecture last month.
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Margaret Atwood: The art of the matter *
Science is a tool -- the arts express those dreams for which we want to use our tools, says MARGARET ATWOOD, who delivered the 2004 Kesterton Lecture.
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Mark Morton: A scholar's linguistic history of smut *
Mark Morton spent nine months researching the origins of English words about sex, he tells MICHAEL POSNER, to come up with that rare kind of academic treatise that people might actually read.
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Media snakes eat their own tails *
Who reads profiles of people in magazines? Who buys Vanity Fair and People? Who wants to read gossip about the personal lives of people they don't know? What kind of short-attention-span, superficial ninny wants to read about what's in a newscaster's closet rather than about ideas and events?
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Mick Foley: Wrestling with his muse *
Mick Foley, known as Mankind on the WWE circuit, tells REBECCA CALDWELL that giving birth to his three books was more painful than being brutalized in the ring
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Murder most monosyllabic *
RAY CONLOGUE talks to the king of crime, Elmore Leonard, about his craft.
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Music piracy case tests Net free speech *
Message to chat room orators and e-mail addicts: Legal experts say a record industry campaign to ferret out those who share songs on the Internet may yield the first definite signs of how Canada's courts will approach wider questions of on-line anonymity.
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Once upon a time in the Story Seminar *
I used to be ashamed of some of my film preferences, but thanks to one Robert McKee, I now hold my head high. Here it is: I thought The Mummy was awesome. Pirates of the Caribbean rocked. When I heard they were doing a sequel to the first Charlie's Angels movie, I drooled a little. However, I do have enough critical discernment to state that Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle was unmitigated compost. Once, I might not have possessed the tools to explain to you why I might find Boneheaded Hollywood Confection a pleasure, but its seemingly identical counterpart, Cynical Special Effects Orgy II an inducer of mock gagging noises. The answer can be summed up in one word: Story.
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One day turns 100 *
With ritual sausage-eating, and a breakfast sponsored by Guinness, Dublin leads the way as fans in 60 countries doff their bowlers to James Joyce's Ulysses and its hero, Leopold Bloom, whose story unfolded a century ago. REBECCA CALDWELL investigates.
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Over-used words banned list released *
Here's the annual List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness.
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Paper Fan (Keyes review) *****
I approached Paper Fan with genuine interest, considerable respect and some degree of misgiving. The book turns out to be an absolute page-turner...
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Radar: Not another 'celebrity kiss-ass magazine' *
Talk magazine survivor Maer Roshan launches Radar, SIMON HOUPT reports: "It's amazing what a guy can accomplish when he drops Tina Brown's name."
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Robert Bringhurst: Water works, a Story of Floods *
They awe and terrify us, and as ROBERT BRINGHURST writes, floods are also myth incarnate.
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Scholars finding odd new clues in The Scarlet Letter *
Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter was the furthest thing from Richard Kopley's mind when the English teacher started working on what would become his first scholarly book.
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Smoked meat, cigars and Richler's oeuvre *
Organizers of a conference at McGill steer clear of a love-in and create an atmosphere the author himself would have appreciated.
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So You Want to be a Travel Writer *****
"We are compiling a list of past attendees who are now published authors thanks to attending the Maui Writers Conference. Over 100 writers either made connections and found agents who helped them get a book deal after the event...or they secured book deals right at the conference. I know I did," says MWC Publicist Barbara Santos.
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So, you wanna be a writer? *
In a series of imaginary letters, novelist and writing teacher CAROLINE ADDERSON ponders a system that churns out authors who churn out books that no one buys.
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SOCIAL STUDIES -- Wednesday, September 17, 2003 *
A DAILY MISCELLANY OF INFORMATION BY MICHAEL KESTERTON
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Spoken Here...Last words? *
Only 30 people speak fluent Mohawk, but Manx is making a slow comeback. Montreal writer Mark Abley has travelled the world in search of the human stories behind dying languages, RAY CONLOGUE writes.
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Stations take Stern measures *
In the continuing fallout from the latest controversy swirling around talk-show shock jock Howard Stern, the president of Clear Channel Communications -- the largest owner of radio stations in the United States -- yesterday told a Congressional subcommittee he was ashamed of recent violations of standards of decency.
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Stern airs frustration over Clear Channel ban *
A day after the nation's largest radio station chain suspended shock jock Howard Stern's show for alleged indecency, Stern vented on the air Thursday with uncharacteristic restraint.
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Steven Galloway: Excelling at Young Writer 101 *
A self-described 'stupid punk' from Kamloops, BC, finds himself with two acclaimed novels and a university job teaching writing.
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The case of the seized computer *
Marsha Boulton is best known as a Stephen Leacock Award-winning humour writer, but her latest book is taking her real life deep into crime-thriller territory, with many volleys and ripostes between her and the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney-General.
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The man with the ink-stained past *
He was once a rising star at the United Nations, writes PAUL WALDIE. Now, Cheickh Bangoura is fighting to clear his name in a legal battle that could change how courts view Internet publishing.
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The scuttlebutt on the schnoz *
Perhaps because the nose is so prominent -- as plain as the nose on your face, in fact -- it is the target of much metaphorical injury.
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The Spoken Word: Women's Rules of Engagement *
In the war between the sexes, communication is the key. Take our advice and don't be a gender-offender.
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Toronto writer wins Poe award *
Toronto writer Sylvia Maultash Warsh picked up an Edgar Allan Poe Award for her book Find Me Again at a ceremony held by the Mystery Writers of America Thursday night in New York.
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Well-heeled gent seeks rapturous meed *
Summer is here -- it's probably safe to say that by now -- and the Word Play files are bulging.
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Western culture vultures spy eastern meat *
I want to start out by saying that this column was intended to be a celebration of western Canadian -- particularly West Coast -- magazines. It was geared, therefore, toward assiduous avoidance of all things Toronto.
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What rhymes with scurvy? *
'Y'have a writer's union in Canada?" Robert McKee interrogated his Vancouver audience last summer. There were coughs, mutters in response. Nobody wanted to answer him directly, because the screenwriting guru had betrayed a penchant for picking people out and yelling at them in the past hour.
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William Gibson's Pattern Recognition (Shaviro review) **** 1/2
William Gibson's new novel Pattern Recognition (which I have finally finished reading) is very likely the first work of literature to use "Google" as a verb (as in: "If you Google him, you'll find...). What's important, however, is not that Gibson is savvy enough to note how everyone's favourite search engine has entered the vocabulary, but rather the absolute ordinariness, or taken-for-grantedness, of this usage: it's a detail, precisely, that doesn't stand out in any way in the novel. And that is what makes it significant...
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Writers in a chain gang *
It's not surprising that when authors from across the country pen a collective novel, some literary fur will fly, MARY NERSESSIAN writes.
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Writers' association jumps into Hall dispute *
Journalist Red Fisher's dispute with the Hockey Hall of Fame over the status of media members has been joined by the hockey writers' association.
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Writers' fest comes of age *
Montreal's Blue Metropolis writers' festival, which ended on Sunday, has ballooned into a major Canadian literary event in just six years...
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Writers' Retreats *
Unique writers' retreat-workshops Labour Day weekend...
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Secondary Sites:
Dashed if I know *
Can't tell a hyphen from an em-dash? A possessive from a pronoun? Numerous guides to word usage will have you punctuating in style, REBECCA CALDWELL writes.
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Disaster coverage -- Galveston *
When disaster strikes, every type of human emotion is exposed. We get an opportunity to be at our very best -- and our very worst.
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Exhausted and infuriated *
Toronto's Lola Magazine and Vancouver's Blinding Light Cinema were two of Canada's richest cultural voices. Their demise says a lot about cultural burnout
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Fabricator Stephen Glass: The truth, the whole truth and nothing but... *
was inevitable that Stephen Glass's first novel would be based on a true story. That it is his own is what makes it unusual.
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Garber on Business: Safe-guarding your reputation *
Should you worry about your reputation? What is your good name worth to you in business? They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but these days the maxim should be amended to "…no fury like a journalist deceived."
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Is this a flair for fictions? *
A mysterious blond organizer of an allegedly bogus writers' conference is alleged to have other secrets, some of which made it into her novel.
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It's all beside the point *
A journalism student at the University of Texas, interviewed on Sunday on the CBS program 60 Minutes, irked me. The topic was The List, websites naming profs at U.S. universities who have been accused of letting their left-wing or anti-Israel bias pollute the pure academic air of their classrooms.
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Naughtiness in News Articles Is a Proud April 1 Tradition Among the British Media *
English Patience: Our English Cousins are both gullible and good-natured about the annual pounding they must submit to, courtesy of the British Media.
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Now available from HRDC: A computerized aptitude test that tells apples to be oranges *
It is not an easy thing to do, writing a letter of resignation.
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SARS in HK: On the inside looking in *
In a city ravaged by SARS, CHARLES FORAN has been teaching a course on Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient. It's a strange climate, he writes, in which to explore themes of heroism, loss and the triumph of the public good.
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SOCIAL STUDIES -- Thursday, September 18, 2003 *
A DAILY MISCELLANY OF INFORMATION BY MICHAEL KESTERTON
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SOCIAL STUDIES -- Tuesday, September 2, 2003 *
A DAILY MISCELLANY OF INFORMATION BY MICHAEL KESTERTON
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The lights are on but nobody's home at The Times *
First, the news. The New York Times, a paper of wobbly reliability these days, has unleashed a TV-related, hold-the-front-page scoop. It stunned me, for sure.
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To be or not to be? That is the cliché *
In the wake of Spalding Gray's sudden disappearance, REBECCA CALDWELL examines the notion of the tormented writer.
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Vancouver Film Critics Circle 2002 Honours in Filmmaking *
The Hours, Flower and Garnet Lead Vancouver Critics' Picks
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