Drafted

Upon realizing I had not posted my blog for yesterday, I also realized I have not posted a few other blogs. Posting them now seems silly as the anniversary of moving into our house has passed and the post about whether or not I should grieve about the death of my husband's not-so-close brother is no longer relevant. (The answer: I should, but I didn't). I realized I have various states of blogging. I have blogs in my mind that only need typing, I have ideas that are evolving, but not yet complete or ready to be explored verbally, and apparently I have other that, though finished, are unfit for the internet to see. I don't decide this. Perhaps my computer does.

Ideas and words are such weird things. I pretend to have control over them, but I don't. Clearly.

It is, however, also clear that I need to learn to control them in order to maintain my sanity.

Book Thursday: Cleansing the Mental Palate

(oops...this should have been posted yesterday. Alas.)

Normally, for Thursdays,  I would like to write about a specific book, reflecting upon the book itself and attempting to fit this book into some sort of larger picture. I have been doing a lot of reading these past few weeks and, although I did read some amazing books, I encountered a problem with reading that I found much more interesting.

After finishing Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, I found it incredibly difficult to do much of anything else much less read any other books. The book crippled me mentally. In a good way, of course. I felt trapped in London Below and, although I enjoyed it there, I wanted to leave before reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks or The Things They Carried. HeLa cells and the Vietnam War are far from the sewers of London and the need to detach was obvious. I needed a mental cleanse. I enjoyed this book very much, but it wasn't my favorite book. I am not sure what it was about this book that struck me this way.

I tried reading children's books, writing down my thoughts, napping, but nothing could get me away from Neverwhere. Finally I had to just dig into my book. The thing is, though, that I didn't want to erase my thoughts and memories of Neverwhere completely. I am not sure how I hid them away in order to function normally, but I did. I suppose this is a good time to come up with an emergency plan: a way to cleanse my mental palatte after reading the next especially powerful book.

Here are a few images from the book. Have you read this book? Perhaps now you will. Please, tell me how you managed to escape from London Below (or Above!).

Book Thursday: Eats, Shoots and Leaves

As an English major (wait, I have a degree...now how do I defend my nerd status?), I have always felt a particularly strong inadequacy when it came to punctuation. I picked up Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss out of the desire to be entertained (yes, I am still a nerd) and also because I hoped to learn a little about commas: my epic weakness.

As I type this, I worry that I am making mistake after mistake. I will not proofread this entry out of fear. If I do, I will dwell on each comma, questioning my every key stroke. I don't want to put myself through that.

I did learn much about the history of punctuation, the evolution of the comma, and the arguments over the proper usage or necessity of various marks of punctuation. I also learned more about my beloved interrobang!

This book got me thinking about where punctuation will be in the future. Text messages read like a punctuation-less hell, a grammarian's nightmare, and a spelling, well, I don't have time to talk about that now. This, is the primary method of communication for many young people (including myself) and yet, we don't take the time to communicate properly. Are these formalities on the way out? As Truss noted, improper English and incorrect usage has bled over into popular media and the internet is not edited. Where does this leave correct grammar and punctuation?

Though English evolved within the lower classes and is always changing due to the need of the people, (English is very much alive and fluid) I can't help but feel nostalgia for complete sentences with periods and everything! I appreciate it when I am easily able to read a paragraph and not wonder about the author's intentions.

I, too, am still learning about punctuation and grammar: it is a constant battle. It is one that can, however, be won and the reward is a wonderful one: the ability to communicate well. In a world where communication is lacking and yet ever so important, I see no reason to mess up one of the keys to clear, concise communication. Learning to communicate clearly doesn't have to be stressful, but it does require effort!

(This entry was proofread, but not dwelled upon)

Rememberall

(No, this is not a post about a certain beloved wizard. It is about books and remembering and remembering books.)

I have read many books in my life. Some were assigned, and some were for leisure. I have always been a bookworm. Recently, I read a book called, How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Pierre Bayard. In this book, Bayard describes various levels of reading which may result in a person having read a book and not actually remembering anything about said book.

This got me thinking. Could I have an intellectual discussion about any of the books I have read? I can't even remember who wrote The Scarlet Letter so a discussion on that one is out. Was Pride and Prejudice the one about the sisters and the weddings? Yeah? That's all I got. I have read these books. Really, I have.

How is that I can't remember something I spent so much time with? How will I ever successfully read classic novels and actually remember them? Can I be a good English major when I can't even remember the basic plot of The Great Gatsby? Or does everyone forget these classics and just pretend to have read and enjoy them?

Is it worse to have read and forgotten these books than to have never read them at all?

Mortal Syntax

As an English major I am expected to speak correctly at all times, write correctly at all times, and to know all things grammar-related. (I am also expected to have read every book known to man, but that is another topic). I am the worst grammarian primarily because it interests me. I read into everything and confuse myself. I enjoy trying to learn, but the end, I am dumber than when first started. The search for someone or something that can guide me down the rocky path that is understanding the English language is important. Thankfully, I stumbled upon this book.

Mortal Syntax by June Casagrande, (author of Grammar Snobs are Great Big Meanies) has been my recent pre-sleep reading. The book is simple and clear and funny. She describes why certain things are wrong, but more importantly, when it's okay to break the rules. I have actually learned a few things. Also, a few things have been clarified for me (subjunctive tense).

I suggest this book for anyone interested in learning a little about grammar or for anyone who needs a refresher course. The book is also a great tool with which to arm yourself. Inevitably, some jerk will decide to confront you about your imperfect grammar. He will have no idea you are ready to clobber him with wit and knowledge. This book will prepare you for just such a battle.