Five Things Make a Post

[rolanni]

1.  I grew up in an area where the construction "might could" was allowable -- as was "youse" and "y'all" (but not "all y'all") -- these are the benefits of growing up in a border state.  In any case, I needed clarity on whether "might could" was a Maine eccentricity, and of course, I turned to the internet, where I found this fascinating (if you like that kind of thing) discussion.

2.  Barnes & Noble and Simon & Schuster are having an argument.  So, of course, it seems like a swell idea for B&N to take it out on S&S's writers.  Who can do nothing about any of it; who are not part of the problem; and who will lose money and perhaps readers while existing fans write to them asking if they know that Barnes and Noble refuses to carry their book.  I've lost count, but this?  Is another reason why writers drink.*

2a.  Here's the Wall Street Journal article

2b.  Here's the blog of one author caught in the middle

2c.  Here's another blog of another affected author, who has decided to Do Something

3.  In another news, Harper-Collins is the latest in a series of publishers to adopt the Humpty Dumpty Theory of Language ("When I use a word, it means what I want it to mean").  Here's that link.

4.  I very much doubt that I'm going to list the songs to which I know the lyrics.  It just seems that my time could be more profitably spent doing something else.  You are certainly free to use your imaginations.

5.  I'm working on a short story, so there is no Carousel Seas snippet tonight.  Maybe tomorrow.  Though I sorta hope to finish the short story tomorrow.

Good-night Wesley; sleep well.  I'll most likely kill you in the morning.

Comments

[the wol (from livejournal.com)]

Now that you mention it, if I was using first person POV, the narrative would be in the "voice" of that person, in which case, if that person was likely to say "might could" or "fixing to (do something)" then that's how I'd write it. I find reading things aloud helps me smooth them and get the rhythm and flow right. I have a feeling that you and Steve do the same. Reading aloud is a lost art. How many afternoons did women spend gathered in the back parlour with their handwork and sewing, each person taking a turn reading aloud from a book to the group, or having a child read aloud to them? It used to be family entertainment for one person to read a book aloud to the family. (or if the family was musical, to play music together, or have friends over for a fun night of sight-reading trio sonatas and string quartets). But then radio, and TV and the internet happened and in and amongst all our time and labor saving devices, nobody has time any more. You and Steve might be interested to check out the BBC radio 4 site for an "audio play" based on Neil Gaiman's book "Neverwhere" with Christopher Lee, Benedict Cumberbach, et al. You can stream it from the web.