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| Renowned author Michael Herr is back guest-blogging on this awesome Aloha Friday talking about words, words and words,enjoy... Make sure and check out Michael's website at; http://www.michaelherr.com/ |
November 4
It's Aloha Friday.
"Words, words, words."
I've been intrigued by words ever since I was a keiki, a little kid. Growing up around the time of the Korean War (ooops, police action), I drew hundreds of pictures featuring tanks and planes and bombs and explosions. To complete my drawings I added caption balloons so that the soldiers in my drawings said things like "Ayyyyy!" and "Charge!" and "Die!" Just words to me then.
In elementary school, I can't remember getting less than 100% on any spelling test. I could spell any word. In high school, I padded my English classes by turning in extra-credit writing. Words came easily. In college, I produced more words than ever. Words on Sartre, on Shakespeare, on philosophy and theology and English authors. My best writing during college? The love letters with which I wooed my future wife.
After college, first as a teacher and then as a school administrator, I wrote even more words. Memos and reports and requests for funding and evaluations. But nothing for myself; nothing for my soul.
Now, retired and a writer, I get to play with words again. I get to polish them and piece them together in ways that are so much more interesting to me. And some of my words come together quite nicely.
Once I've written a book, it moves from the front to the back of my mind. So, when I'm working on another book, I have to go back now and then to see what I wrote previously in order to be sure I don't contradict myself. I'm always astonished when I re-read an earlier work at how marvelous some of it is. Not all of it, but language gems pop up now and then within my work. I usually stop reading at that point, look up and in awe say, "Damn, that's good.".
I love words. I love the emails I get from other people who share their wordplay. Here's a couple of examples of the type of wordplay I enjoy:
War does not determine who is right, just who is left.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal ideas from
many people is research.
many people is research.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit, and the
person who doesn't get it.
person who doesn't get it.
The only difference between a rut and a groove is the depth.
My mind works like lightning. One brilliant flash and it's gone.
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
And my current favorite word:
Ignoranus: A person who is both stupid and an a-hole.
Much aloha.
check out Michael's website at http://www.michaelherr.com/ buy all six books for only $18
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