Book Description
Presents a collection of unusual and entertaining facts and myths about writers, books, word origins, publishers, critics, grammar, and other aspects of the world of literature
Author : Robert Hendrickson
Publisher : Harvest Books
Page : 498 pages
File Size : 17,14 MB
Release : 1994-01-01
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780156527873
Presents a collection of unusual and entertaining facts and myths about writers, books, word origins, publishers, critics, grammar, and other aspects of the world of literature
Author : Robert Hendrickson
Publisher : Penguin Group
Page : 420 pages
File Size : 20,49 MB
Release : 1982
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780140063189
Author : John Sutherland
Publisher : Random House
Page : 306 pages
File Size : 21,76 MB
Release : 2010-10-31
Category : Games & Activities
ISBN : 1446409015
How much heavier was Thackeray's brain than Walt Whitman's? Which novels do American soldiers read? When did cigarettes start making an appearance in English literature? And, while we're about it, who wrote the first Western, is there any link between asthma and literary genius, and what really happened on Dorothea's wedding night in Middlemarch? In Curiosities of Literature, John Sutherland contemplates the full import of questions such as these, and attempts a few answers in a series of essays that are both witty and eclectic. His approach is also unashamedly discursive. An account of the fast-working Mickey Spillane, for example, leads to a consideration of the substances, both legal and illegal, that authors have employed to boost their creative energies. An essay on good and bad handwriting points out in passing that Thackeray could write the Lord's Prayer on the back of a stamp. As for Mary Shelley, a brief recital of the circumstances in which she wrote Frankenstein stops off to consider what impact the miserable summer weather of 1816 had on the future path of English literature. Of course, it is debatable whether knowledge of these arcane topics adds to the wisdom of nations, but it does highlight the random pleasures to be found in reading literature and reading about it. As John Sutherland rightly asks, 'Why else read?'
Author : Isaac Disraeli
Publisher :
Page : 342 pages
File Size : 44,21 MB
Release : 1823
Category : English literature
ISBN :
Author : Ralph Keyes
Publisher : Holt Paperbacks
Page : 244 pages
File Size : 34,19 MB
Release : 2003-10-01
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 1466828099
The Courage to Write is an invaluable book and essential reading for anyone who wishes to learn how to write well. Katherine Anne Porter called courage "the first essential" for a writer. "I have to talk myself into bravery with every sentence," agreed Cynthia Ozick, "sometimes every syllable." E. B. White said he admired anyone who "has the guts to write anything at all."An author who has taught writing for more than thirty years, In The Courage to Write, Ralph Keyes, an author who has taught writing for more than thirty years, assures us that anxiety is felt by writers at every level, especially when they dare to do their best. He describes the sequence of "courage points" through which all writers must pass, from the challenge of identifying a worthwhile project to the mixture of pride and panic they feel when examining a newly published book or article. Keyes also offers specifics on how to root out dread of public "performance" and of the judgment of family and friends, make the best use of writers' workshops and conferences, and handle criticism of works in progress. Throughout, he includes the comments of many accomplished writers -- Pat Conroy, Amy Tan, Rita Dove, Isabel Allende, and others -- on how they transcended their own fears to produce great works.
Author : Robert B. Taylor
Publisher : Springer
Page : 249 pages
File Size : 50,91 MB
Release : 2017-01-23
Category : Medical
ISBN : 3319503286
This book tells the intriguing and often colorful stories of the medical words we use. The origins of clinical and scientific terms can be found in Greek and Latin myths, in places such as jungles of Uganda and the islands of the Aegean Sea, in the names of medicine’s giants such as Hippocrates and Osler, and in some truly unlikely sources. In this book you will learn the answers to questions such as: • What disease was named for an American space flight? • Do you know the echoic word for elephantine rumbling of the bowels? • What drug name was determined by drawing chemists’ notes out of a hat? • What are surfer’s eye, clam digger’s itch, and hide porter’s disease? This book can give you new insights into the terms we use every day in the clinic, hospital, and laboratory. Knowing a word’s history assists in understanding not only what it means, but also some of the connotative subtleties of terms used in diagnosis and treatment. The Amazing Language of Medicine is intended for the enrichment of physicians, other health professionals, students, and anyone involved in clinical care and medical science.
Author : David Comfort
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 378 pages
File Size : 32,10 MB
Release : 2013-11-14
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 1599637812
"Perseverance is much more important than talent. Because so many talented people fall by the wayside." --James Michener The history of writing is full of authors striving to succeed in a hyper-competitive publishing world, contending with agents, editors, publishers, critics, and sometimes the greatest challenge of all - overnight success. For all of the extaordinary changes that have recently taken place, however, there are a few things that remain the same. Getting published still requires persistence, preparation, and smarts, as well as an understanding of how the business works, where it's been, and where it's going. An Insider's Guide to Publishing pulls back the industry curtain for millions of published and aspiring authors, revealing Hemingway's famous feuds, Poe's raving madness, Capote's vengeful wit, and much more. With clever insights and dark humor to spare, David Comfort, a thirty-year veteran of the publishing trenches, explores the achivements and faultures of literary masters and editorial workaholics to show readers how they, too, can: • Use their creativity and composure to overcome publishing pitfalls. • Work with agents, editors, publishers, and critics like a pro. • Deal with rejection - and success - while avoiding the madhouse. • Navigate the pros and cons of both traditional and self-publishing. An Insider's Guide to Publishing shares the wicked wit and wisdom of some of the craziest and most ambitious authors and editors of all time - proving that even the talented need luck, pluck, persistence, and the inside scoop on this rapidly changing industry in order to succeed!
Author : Robert Greenman
Publisher : Levenger Company
Page : 468 pages
File Size : 33,92 MB
Release : 2000
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781929154050
Author : Andre Bernard
Publisher : Little, Brown
Page : 808 pages
File Size : 34,87 MB
Release : 2000-09-21
Category : Reference
ISBN : 0446931268
From Hank Aaron to King Zog, Mao Tse-Tung to Madonna, Bartlett's Book of Anecdotes features more than 2,000 people from around the world, past and present, in all fields. These short anecdotes provide remarkable insight into the human character. Ranging from the humorous to the tearful, they span classical history, recent politics, modern science and the arts. Bartlett's Book of Anecdotes is a gold mine for anyone who gives speeches, is doing research, or simply likes to browse. As an informal tour of history and human nature at its most entertaining & instructive, this is sure to be a perennial favorite for years to come.
Author : Ralph Keyes
Publisher : Macmillan
Page : 236 pages
File Size : 49,53 MB
Release : 2003-10
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0805072357
The author and journalist offers his best advice and encouragement, helping writers find the courage and dedication they need to continue to write despite the obstacles to success.