Word of the Week – proverb “’Tis better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.” It’s a comforting message from my mother that I carry around in my head, a proverb, allegedly, first used in 1907 in a sermon by W.L. Watkinson. Some websites suggest that it originated with Confucious. Others mention, […]
All right, scholars, let’s talk about the choice of the second person imperative. Well we know, it’s seldom that a writer of fiction would address the audience as “you.” It’s used in “didactic” writing, referring to texts that are intended to teach, preach or advise. Better watch out if you’re trying to engage your reading […]
recipes, Travel, Uncategorized 2 comments
Every café in Paris served a version of the irresistible “salade avec chevre chaud.” There are fancier versions with pastry crusts, and other additions, a few more veggies, or crispy lardons of smoked pork, or toasted almonds, but the basic version is delicious and simple to make at home. You just need to pay a […]
etymology, Travel, Word of the Week 1 comment
Shakespeare & Co. is an English language bookstore on the Seine, opposite Notre Dame. Established in 1951, it was a mecca for expat writer/visitors including Allen Ginsburg, Anais Nin, Henry Miller, Lawrence Durrell, James Baldwin …. The building had originally been a monastery and each monastery had a “frère lampier” whose duty was to light […]
Dateline: Paris. Newsflash, the Parisiens are different from you and me. They’re not really keeping up with the twenty-four hour news cycle of attack, counter-attack in the U.S presidential election. I’m probably the only person in this city, awake at 5:00AM, wondering about the use of unhinged. It’s not a new word. Used in the sense […]
Counting down the days to a Paris adventure, tonight we celebrate with a bottle of champagne and a can’t fail tart, adapted from a pastry recipe given to me by B.J. Osterloh. The Pastry: 1 ¼ c. flour 1/8 tsp salt, omit if using salted butter 2T sugar 1 stick butter, cut in eight pieces […]
Travel, Uncategorized 0 comments
How to make the most of a trip to Paris? We travel for the same reason we read fiction: to expand our life experiences via the magical “what if …?” (What if my little sister were drafted to compete in The Hunger Games? What if I lived in Paris?) Fresh perspectives and new information are […]
etymology, Word of the Week 0 comments
Beware. The urge to rhyme is a jolly, seductive joy and limericks are meant to cause trouble. The name is associated with the city and county of Limerick in Ireland, and the ditties date back to the 1800s. A limerick is a type of nonsense verse with five lines: one, two and five rhyme together; […]
etymology, Word of the Week 2 comments
Well, “treppenwitz” isn’t really an English word, but we need one like it. In German, it’s literally “staircase wit,” meaning that devastating rejoinder you think of after you’ve left the scene of the debate. Yes, whether we like it or not, debates are approaching and the candidates are getting plenty of advice from the pundits. […]
etymology, Word of the Week 0 comments
Writers are tempted to paint the portrait of a true Southern lady or gennemun with that soft, humid voice reminiscent of Faulkner. Most experts warn us not to try it. Mark Twain got away with it, but that was a long time ago. We know what the accent sounds like. They teach it to actors, […]