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The Sense of Style – Steven Pinker

    I’m a huge fan of Steven Pinker’s 2014 book, The Sense of Style. It’s essential reading if you’re a writer as it makes sense of all those nonsensical “rules” you encounter in style guides. As a taster, check out this video which I guess dates from the book’s launch. I’ve only just found […]

A writer is …

A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people. Thomas Mann A great quote, courtesy of Michael Wade at Execupundit. Mann was a German writer famous for Death in Venice (remember the strangely haunting Dirk Bogarde film?) and The Magic Mountain. The latter made me aware of […]

Gladstone’s Library – a place to retreat and write?

The UK’s only residential, and apparently its only Prime Ministerial, library, Gladstone’s Library in North Wales looks idyllic. Hat tip to Cultural Offering for posting a cosy picture earlier in January. I have to confess I hadn’t heard of it before. Now I want to go. And stay. And sleep with books.         […]

Christmas, Dickens, Desk

From the Dickens Museum, situated in Charles Dickens’ London home of 48 Doughty Street, I learn that Dickens had a pet Raven named Grip (actually he had three Grips in succession). The pet was the inspiration for Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem. I discovered Poe’s Raven through the invaluable Execupundit. Aside from Dickens’ desk, above, […]

Napoleon’s Kindle #Writing

From Cork County Library and Open Culture, via the wonderful Cramped blog: “Many of Napoleon’s biographers have incidentally mentioned that he […] used to carry about a certain number of favorite books wherever he went, whether traveling or camping,” says an 1885 Sacramento Daily Union article posted by Austin Kleon, “but it is not generally known that he […]

A Giant story in my head – Neil Gaiman on American Gods #Writing @neilhimself

There a nice little clip here of Neil Gaiman describing the genesis of his book America Gods. I absolutely love the book, but I confess I’m still not sure about the TV series. Some aspects of it I found mind-blowing, other bits not so much. Either way, both book and series are worth checking out. […]

As Tears Go By #Writing

Steve Layman has a great excerpt from Keith Richards’ Life: “We had two lines and an interesting chord sequence, and then something else took over somewhere in this process.  I don’t want to say mystical, but you can’t put your finger on it.  Once you’ve got that idea, the rest will come.  It’s like you’ve […]

Faster Reading with Nicholas Bate #Writing

What’s not to like? Seven tips for more effective reading from Nicholas Bate: “4. Whether screen based or paper based, get comfortable. Decent lighting, chair…. 5. Set a period of time with a clear timer. Start with 45 minute periods and build.  6. Start and simply read a little more quickly. …” Read the full list, here. Because, […]

In praise of poetry #Writing

The Art of Manliness blog lists “20 classic poems every man should read“, stating: “However, we do ourselves a great disservice when we neglect the reading of poetry. John Adams, one of the founding fathers of the United States, commended poetry to his son John Quincy. Both Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt committed their favorite […]

A bookly object of desire – @FolioSociety @NeilHimself

The Folio Society’s new and lavish edition of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, illustrated by Dave McKean, has glistened its way onto my Wish List. Sadly, my over-large Wish List is preceded by a still groaning Must Read Shelf. Although, as I’ve already read the novel, maybe this doesn’t count. Does it? Does it, does it, […]

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