the new york times
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Storm-Torn Relics
“That red convertible we were so proud of looks as though it is about to be struck by a meteor. And every moment — the prom, the dance recital, the snowman’s construction — is painted now with bright yellows and…
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“I owed worse than money”
Chris Colin recounts the saga of an unpaid Craigslist I.O.U., which becomes an obsession that forces him to confront his own non-monetary debts. “I didn’t care about the money. I cared about the abuse of this rare bit of fellowship.…
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Writing Rules From Colson Whitehead
Want a free writing lesson? Colson Whitehead has some helpful tips over at The New York Times’ Sunday Book Review. If you missed it, be sure to read Nancy Smith’s Rumpus interview with Whitehead right here.
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García Márquez Has Dementia
The New York Times shares some sad news: Gabriel García Márquez has dementia, according to his brother Jaime. “He is no longer writing and is simply living this stage of life in peace… He reads every day and is with…
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The Endless Hustle
“Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness; obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day.” At The New…
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“There are two things you don’t throw out in France – bread and books”
The New York Times reported yesterday on the notable difference between independent bookstores in France, and their struggling American counterparts. The article describes the way in which government intervention and price fixing for French-language books has buoyed printed literature in…
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A Hologram For The King
At The New York Times, Michiko Kakutani reviews Dave Eggers’ A Hologram for the King, calling it a “comic but deeply affecting tale about one man’s travails that also provides a bright, digital snapshot of our times.” For more on…
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Writing for the Ear
“Language can still be an adventure if we remember that words can make a kind of melody. In novels, news stories, memoirs and even to-the-point memos, music is as important as meaning. In fact, music can drive home the meaning…
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“Liberals Are Ruining America. I Know Because I Am One.”
At The New York Times, Rumpus columnist Steve Almond argues that liberals are treating “for-profit propaganda as news” to the detriment of our political system. Almond makes a strong case for ignoring the demagogues and instead seeking out those who want…
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“Mistakes Were Made”
At The New York Times, Constance Hale continues her writing lessons series with an exploration of the appropriate uses and pitfalls of the notorious passive voice. “…Some of the worst writing around suffers from inert verbs and the unintended use…
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“The Never-to-Be Bride”
Rumpus Funny Women editor Elissa Bassist rocks the New York Times Modern Love column. “That online conversation was our last. Once he signed off, he was gone for good. At that moment, those children we had planned died, or were…
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Make-or-Break
Constance Hale’s New York Times series of writing lessons continues with wisdom on verbs. “Verbs kick-start sentences: Without them, words would simply cluster together in suspended animation. We often call them action words, but verbs also can carry sentiments (love,…