Dept. of Weekend's End

[kaffy_r]

I Hope I Can Handle Monday

I'd like to think that this weekend has provided the spiritual nutrients necessary to fortify me for the coming week. After all, I've been relatively productive, which is one of the metrics by which I measure my worth (thank you, Nana!)  I got my nails redone yesterday, and made a decent beef and vegetable stir-fry yesterday. Today, I got out the big slow-cooker and made a beef stew, complete with parsnips, apples, celery, onion, potatoes, wine, beef broth, diced tomatoes ... we'll see if the various flavors blend or fight with each other. (ETA: they blended quite nicely.) 

In the past few days, I managed to write and post a drabble, I've managed to converse with people online, and I've read some lengthy essays on things non-Kavanaugh related (and some that were). all of which I think provides excellent mental exercise for me. 

Question for some of you: am I a minority in thinking that this essay not only smacks of "hey, you kids, get off my lawn," and of an obdurate refusal  to acknowledge language's evolution, but that it's poorly written? As far as I can tell, it doesn't even properly make or advance its supposed core argument and theme: "We are allowing a perversion of meaning to creep into our language, where words are used for control, rather than persuasion."

Just me?

I remembered today that I hadn't posted any pictures of our Seattle trip, which I'd said I would do. Here's one that Andy took of Bob and I at the Chihuly gallery and museum. 

Comments

[beccadg]

I can't say for certain if we're a minority, but I can say that you are not alone. I agree that that essay smacks of "hey, you kids, get off my lawn," an obdurate refusal to acknowledge language is a living thing which evolves, and it's poorly written. I have most of my Bachelor's Degree in English, I'm two classes shy of being sent my diploma, and I'm not sure if it's badly written because it's passionate to incoherence, or if it's badly written because it doesn't really have a clue about good writing.

[kaffy_r]

I'm glad I'm ot alone. I think that the writer is indeed passionate, but he didn't take the time to organize his argument, possibly because it is just an inchoate cry of the heart against modernity. He may well have a clue about good writing, and might indeed write well when he doesn't let his emotions get the better of him. In this case, he was a prisoner of those emotions.

[lilacsigil]

What a great photo, full of light and colour!

I agree with you about the essay, but I think the major problem is that it compares literary writing to bureaucratic or political or legal writing (or sometimes speech). It doesn't actually make a case apart from "here are some beautiful passages of writing" and "here are some ugly, avoidant passages", which are used for completely different purposes. The writer would have done much better to compare like with like rather than decide that today's language is dull, controlling and evasive and then try to work backwards. Plus a dose of "kids these days".

[kaffy_r]

What a great photo, full of light and colour!

Isn't it lovely? It was raining cats and dogs outside, but the inside space was so well put together that even cloudy light shows off the beauty of Chihuly's creation. And of course, Andy has a good photographer's eye, even with a phone.

I think the major problem is that it compares literary writing to bureaucratic or political or legal writing (or sometimes speech)

Yes! YES!! That's one of the things that bothered me about it. He was comparing apples to kumquats, and sometimes to linoleum, in terms of logic.

dull, controlling and evasive

He gave examples of that, not even bad ones; he just listed words or phrases that it was clear he simply didn't like. If you're going to make a claim, you need to set forth a clear argument, with examples that at least try to be unassailable. Any high school debater can tell you that. I know; I was one.

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, that's a good photo!

And I hope that Monday goes well.

(It won't let me read the article anyway, but it sounds like it isn't worth it!)

[kaffy_r]

Monday kept me busier than a flea on a hot griddle, but I made it through.

I'm sorry that you can't read the article. As I went back through the link to the article, I'm actually surprised that I could see it. I think you have to register to see the so-called long reads on that particular website; I guess one gets a couple of freebies, and that one must be one of them.

You're right though, it's just so poorly written that I wanted to ring the guy up and tell him his high school debate teacher would be ashamed of him.

If you're a glutton for irritation, the piece is from the online version of The Independent, and it's by a gentleman named Robert Fisk. It's in The Independent's Independent Minds section, and was published five days ago (which I assume would be Sept. 27 or 28.)

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, well, i'm glad you made it through!

And, yes, I expect I've used up my limit already via other links some time. (And, heh, I am far too tired to worry about catching up on any articles, even really good ones, but thanks!)

[liadt]

Great photo!

Sounds a nicely productive weekend:)

[kaffy_r]

It was a good weekend, sort of a "meat and potatoes" weekend, which I think I really needed.