EDITING A FEW VERY RECENT POSTS

I spent some time yesterday scrolling through several recent posts in this blog. It became clear to me that there are some details of which I have become aware since posting them. These details help to "round out" the postings. And, truthfully, it allows me to move on without seeing them as totally complete. Written items will always have an emerging quality; there is no such thing as a "final word." But maybe you'll find this list interesting:

* (Holden Caulfield...1/31/10) I read an article in the New York Times yesterday that indicated that J. D. Salinger did, indeed, continue to write during his final years in seclusion in New Hampshire. He left his children a file cabinet with a color code indicating which pieces could be published, and when was the appropriate time for that to happen.

* (Aha!...1/30/10) It turns out that my initial feelings of ecstasy about the ease of publishing my new book online may be somewhat premature. Unless I choose to go the "self-publishing route" I will still find myself dealing with agents and publishing companies. Obviously...I need to do more research on the process.

* (Confirmation...1/29/10) A very interesting "further information" comes from the meeting of the President with the Republicans in a give and take session. It was candid, sometimes fiery, but...overall...a successful venture into hostile territory which may have laid the groundwork for what happens next.

* Eavesdropping...1/29/10) I have discovered that when an editor or other professional linguist uses the word "superstition" it refers to that assemblage of topics taught by teachers as facts about language...but which turn out to be without substance. That's a fancy way of saying they are not true. It helps that I have purchased a copy of Bryan Garner's seminal book, Garner's Modern American Usage, 2009. It is a treasure of good information about the American language. It helps dispel those myths and establish a foundation for writers which is very helpful. As an aside, however, it is interesting that linguists are allowed to co-opt a word (superstition) which has one meaning and provide it with a new meaning that meets their purposes. It does cause some confusion among those who are not members of the fraternity.

* (Alcoholics Anonymous...1/27) Please, folks, it was a dream. It is always dangerous to try to ascribe reality attributes to something which has been described as a dream. When I said I wanted to seek out somebody who could walk me through the meaning of the dream I meant a professional therapist with whom I could have a casual conversation...not a therapy session. I don't want to ruin the beauty of the dream by over-analysis, however.

* (The State of the Union Address...1/26) The idea that the President should engage both his intellectual and his emotional sides was played out nicely in clips of VP Biden joining him at the Georgetown-Duke basketball game on Saturday. It was a joy watching him have fun for a couple of hours away from the Oval Office. Apart from the Duke fans among his "watchers" I suspect there is a fair amount of "attaboy" attitude bolstering him today. It wasn't a Constitutional Law Professor who sat on the bench in the arena...it was Barry Obama, basketball fan.

* (A Book...1/23/10) After extolling the virtues of Patterson's books, it was a pleasure to read the article in the New York Times Magazine on 1/24 about Patterson and his publishing industry. What an amazing enterprise. In some ways it takes away the mystique of writing fiction, but it also amazes me that one man has the quantity of amazing stories holed up in his brain and the ability to get them out to his co-writers...and eventually to us...as interesting, engaging books. I read somewhere (long forgotten source) that he never takes suggestions of stories seriously. They emerge from within his own mind...although I suspect it could be argued that the seed for them was laid by somebody who whispered a theme into his ear at some point.

Enough...you can see that my postings are unfinished most days. Just limited thoughts on a topic that day. Sometimes it's only a matter of minutes before I learn something about the topic that I wish I had known when I wrote it. But, I suspect that's why the electronic phenomenon, TWITTER, exists.


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