writing

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Emoticons Invade Academia
 Emoticons Invade 
 Academia 
Sep 7, 2009 4:44 PM CDT

Emoticons Invade Academia

Teaching millennials causes new frustrations for college writing professors

(Newser) - College professors have lamented the state of student writing for centuries. But today’s Internet-obsessed culture brings new, infuriating errors to Writing 101 as students brazenly use colloquialisms like “:-)” and “LOL” in essays. “Occasionally, I've seen someone using the number 4 for the word 'for,'”...

15-Letter Phrase for Memory Boost? Crossword Puzzle

Activity may fend off the start of memory loss

(Newser) - Doing crossword puzzles may delay the slide into forgetfulness associated with dementia, a study shows. Researchers monitored the frequency with which a group of elderly subjects engaged in reading, writing, group discussions, playing music, playing cards, and doing crossword puzzles, and found that those who developed dementia took part in...

Tale of Wailin' Whalers Nails Bad Writing Contest

Drunken sailors' screaming contest wins 'coveted' Bulwer-Lytton prize

(Newser) - A tale of screaming seafarers has won a Washington man this year's grand prize for terrible writing, AP reports. The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest—named in honor of the British writer who coined "It was a dark and stormy night"—rewards the author who can come up with the...

Sotomayor: Good Judge, Crappy Writer
Sotomayor:
Good Judge, Crappy Writer
OPINION
Jun 4, 2009 12:04 PM CDT

Sotomayor: Good Judge, Crappy Writer

Dry, plodding opinions could make her left's Clarence Thomas

(Newser) - Sonia Sotomayor obviously has her talents, but “writing isn’t one of them,” writes Stephanie Mencimer in Mother Jones. “Sotomayor’s opinions read like she’s still following a formula she learned in college.” Whereas someone like Antonin Scalia wows with his airy and convincing prose,...

The&mdash;Problem&mdash;With&mdash;Em&mdash;Dashes
The—Problem—With—Em—Dashes
OPINION
May 8, 2009 3:51 PM CDT

The—Problem—With—Em—Dashes

Lionel Shriver laments the loss of the semicolon to its curt cousin

(Newser) - A punctuation plague is raging through contemporary prose, indulged in by ordinarily excellent writers and hacks alike. It’s the “em dash,” writes Lionel Shriver for Standpoint—that punchy, aggressive punctuation mark beloved for its flexibility. It can replace the geriatric semicolon, linking two elements of a single...

Strunk &amp; White Is Still a Crock at 50
 Strunk & White Is 
 Still a Crock at 50 
OPINION
Apr 14, 2009 2:10 PM CDT

Strunk & White Is Still a Crock at 50

(Newser) - Strunk and White’s classic writing guide, The Elements of Style, has some “harmless” things to say about style, Geoffrey Pullum writes in the Chronicle of Higher Education, but its assault on grammar is unforgivable. The “toxic mix of purism, atavism, and personal eccentricity is not underpinned by...

Teleprompter's No Cop-Out: Lincoln Would've Loved It

It's no cop-out: Presidents should be precise

(Newser) - President Obama has taken much flak for his reliance on the teleprompter—it's a crutch, goes the charge. In fact, it plays a very different—and essential—role, writes Michael Gerson in the Washington Post: It “represents the elevation of writing in politics,” showing that the president and...

Tweet Happens: Twitter Style Guide in the Works

E-book on proper micro-blogging form to hit iTunes at the end of the month

(Newser) - A style guide for Twitter will hit iTunes by the end of the month, the New York Times reports. The e-book, 140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form, will lay out key style points from the Twitter canon, supported with examples of notable Twitterers. Also covered are things...

Writers Hail Message From a 'Prince'

Inaugural address praised as masterful use of language

(Newser) - Barack Obama's inaugural address showed a literary mastery of language, assorted authors tell the Los Angeles Times. The president's plain speaking and restraint is commended, along with his use of "we" instead of "I." Author Ted Wilmer hails the president's use of "tight language, short sentences...

García Márquez Back at Work on New Novel

(Newser) - Two years after announcing that he had given up writing, Gabriel García Márquez is at work on a new novel, says a close friend. Fellow writer Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza confirmed rumors that the Nobel Prize-winning 82-year-old is working on a love story, the Guardian reports.

Not Very PC: Why Typewriters Beat Computers

Fed up with tech snafus, some Brits reach for the Wite-Out

(Newser) - Favored by novelists and technophobes and sold out of car trunks, typewriters remain the implement of choice for some Brits, reports BBC. Despite their weight and Internet deficiencies, the tangible writing experience free from computer meltdowns or deletions may save the typewriter from extinction—at least for now. One sales...

Clooney, WGA Part Ways Over Disputed Credit

Filmmaker takes reduced role in union after Leatherheads flap

(Newser) - George Clooney has all but severed his ties to the Writers Guild after a dispute over screenwriting credit for the new film Leatherheads, reports Variety. The film's director, co-producer, and star says he overhauled a weak script, but a 2-to-1 arbitration vote went against him. He didn't publicize the move...

On the Road Scroll on Display
On the Road Scroll on Display
Mar 9, 2008 6:30 PM CDT

On the Road Scroll on Display

Visitors can see the scroll of Kerouac's classic novel

(Newser) - Beat lovers can check out the manuscript of Jack Kerouac's classic novel On the Road at the University of Texas, where it is displayed complete with scribbles and scratch outs. A long glass case allows visitors to view about a third of the book, which was written uninterrupted in a...

Hand to Brain: Why Writing Matters in the Digital Age

Fluid writing linked to fluid thinking

(Newser) - Handwriting seems like a vestigial skill now that 3-year-olds are using computers, but it may still benefit children in more ways than helping them slog through parent-mandated thank-you notes, Newsweek says. Penmanship may be closely connected with the learning process, and a new study by a Vanderbilt prof indicates that...

Colleges Don’t Care if Kids Can Write

At least on the SAT, where you may need only write long words

(Newser) - The hours and dollars spent on SAT writing preparation might be for naught, the Boston Globe reports, as 56% of four-year colleges don’t even use the newest section of the aptitude test. Skeptics find fuel in a study showing that big words were all it took to achieve near-perfect...

Achebe Wins Booker Prize
Achebe Wins Booker Prize
Jun 13, 2007 7:00 AM CDT

Achebe Wins Booker Prize

Author of Things Fall Apart honored for his body of work

(Newser) - Chinua Achebe, author of Things Fall Apart, won the Booker International prize, an award given out every two years to recognize a living writer's body of work. The 76-year-old Nigerian is credited with the creation of the modern African novel and is the most translated African author.

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