Creative style is a distinct, particular way of doing something. The point of view is instantly clear. Style is consistency above all. The elements of a style are collected from other sources, contemporary and historical.
| archetypes | quotes | style families | |
| what | Representative example of a common group or type. | Copied transcription of something someone said or wrote. | Groups of things that share a common style. |
| where to find | people, places, animals, mythology, situations, objects | books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, websites, tv shows, movies, interviews | genres: books, fashion, music, painting, sculpture, etc.
historical periods |
“It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide–plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions. The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely […]
Writer’s Crush: Charlotte Perkins Gillman Read More »
Sackville-West, Vita. (1931). All Passion Spent. It is inescapable that this book is about the female condition, having been written by a woman about a woman’s life that was shaped largely by her being female. The argument that Vita Sackville-West was writing a feminist expression of frustration at a male-dominated world is therefore pretty
All Passion Spent: Novel from 1931 timely for me Read More »
Michael Jackson died today. I am reminded of finding out that he had been severely burned while filming a Pepsi commercial. It was 1984, I was nine, and in the car with my father on the way to the old Home Depot in College Park, GA, when I heard the news on the radio. I
Michael’s Shadow: Michael Jackson Read More »
Majumdar, Simon (2009). Eat my globe: one year to go everywhere and eat everything. New York: Free Press. ISBN: 978-1-4165-7602-0 Just what I’ve been craving. An adventurous food book! A British blogger from a family where food is the primary, or it seems only, past time, finds himself turning forty. It is not surprise that
Food and Travel? An Adventure Book Even I Can Love Read More »
Steinmetz, Sol. (2008). Semantic antics: how and why words change meaning. New York: Random House Reference. A great book on the shift of word meanings over time in the English language. In addition to the generous glossary of stories of specific words, the “Introduction,” (pp. vii- xiii) is an excellent, succinct summary of the subject.
Changing Words: read most informative and fun etymology book yet Read More »
Budman, Mark, (2008). My Life at First Try: a Novel. Washington: Counterpoint. At first it was the structure that stood out to me. Short sections that break the story up into trim, well-crafted sections. Virtually any of the sections could be enjoyed as a stand-alone work. This is Mark Budman’s best achievement here: muscular sentences
Fresh, Stunning Novel by Mark Budman: My Life At First Try Read More »
Blount, R., (2008). Alphabet Juice: the energies, gists, and spirits of letters, words, and combinations thereof; their roots, bones, innards,piths, pips, and secret parts, … with examples of their usage foul and savory.New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Blount is certainly knowledgeable about the English language. I can say I learned a great deal from
Alphabet Juice: The Stand-up Linguist Comedian Read More »
Morrison, T., (2009). Burn This Book. City: HarperStudio. Anyone who has read even one book, poem or article or who has seen even one scripted play, movie or television program knows the power of the writer. The eleven writers of the essays in this book flesh out the reasons writing can affect people’s emotions and
Burn This Book, thought provoking book about censorship Read More »
I was excited to go see the preview of Flash of Genius because it had two actors that I really admire and think are talented: Greg Kinnear and Lauren Graham. I also enjoy period films that really get into the details. This film gets that right, and I was savoring images of a dining
Flash of Genius More Like Splash of Rain Read More »
I have always thought the defeat of the Spanish Armada to be one of the best stories of history. This movie gives us a dramatic visual portrayal of that event, and also an inkling of what the political climate was at the time. It seems a bit skewed in some ways, for modern audiences, because females
Elizabeth and the Golden Age Read More »
