Oct

21

I Want THAT Job!

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

October 21, 2009 | 3 Comments

Have you ever wondered who writes the film plot blurbs for newspapers, magazines, or, for that matter, the backs of the cases the films are packaged in? I’ve often read them and thought whoever does that has one of the greatest jobs in the world. Watch all those films would be a definite plus. Yes, [...]

Sep

24

What’s In A Name? (Part 2)

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

September 24, 2009 | 1 Comment

In college I had a Smith Corona word processor. I’m showing my age here, but this was before laptops, so the word processor–with its eight-line, gray and blue LCD screen, and disks that could hold up to 32 KB–was a pretty fancy piece of technology. And I named it Edgar, after Edgar Allan Poe. A [...]

Sep

22

What’s In A Name? (Part 1)

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

September 22, 2009 | 2 Comments

We all know Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”, but he also said,
Who steals my purse steals trash; ’tis something, nothing;
‘Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.
Is [...]

Sep

10

Give The Finger.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

September 10, 2009 | 2 Comments

I’m all for freedom of speech, but with every freedom comes responsibility. The classic example is that you can’t scream “Fire!” in the middle of a crowded theater. And I’m pretty sure most areas, including Pittsburgh, have an ordinance stating you can’t honk your car’s horn unless there’s an imminent danger of an accident. Or [...]

Jul

7

Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

July 7, 2009 | 4 Comments

A new bill on its way through the Nashville city council would prohibit anyone from stapling advertisements to telephone poles. It would also set a fine of $50 per flyer. I have to admit I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand all those staples on telephone poles are unattractive. On the other [...]

Apr

24

But I Repeat Myself (Part 3)

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

April 24, 2009 | 1 Comment

The Triolet
Eight lines, not three,
And much repetition.
Just two rhymes–ab–
Eight lines, not three,
Seems funny to me,
But that’s the position;
Eight lines, not three,
And much repetition.
-Stanley Sharpless
Third time’s a charm, right? It seemed fitting for the third and final part of this series to be devoted to the triolet, a fun little form that’s just eight lines. The [...]

Apr

23

But I Repeat Myself (Part 2)

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

April 23, 2009 | 1 Comment

The rondeau is shorter than the villanelle and more obscure. Unlike the villanelle it is a French form, although it was also originally meant to be sung rather than just read or recited. In fact there’s a musical form also called a rondeau. The opening theme music of Masterpiece Theatre is the first movement of [...]

Apr

22

But I Repeat Myself (Part 1)

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

April 22, 2009 | 1 Comment

In seventh grade I read Robert Frost’s Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening for the first time. The teacher especially focused on the last two lines:
And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep.
She asked us, “Why do you think he repeated this line?” I raised my hand and said, [...]

Apr

16

Just Shoot Me.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

April 16, 2009 | 2 Comments

Strunk & White’s Elements of Style turns fifty today. Considered by some to be the ultimate guide to good writing, it’s not a bad book for any writer to have on their shelf, if only so they can say they have a copy of it. I once had a linguistics professor who liked to thumb [...]

Apr

3

A Life In Letters.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

April 3, 2009 | 1 Comment

Dear President Clinton,
Enclosed some recent political poems.
I have untreatable liver cancer and have 2-5 months to live.
If you have some sort of award for service in art or poetry, please send one along unless it’s politically inadvisable or inexpedient.
That’s from the last letter Allen Ginsberg ever wrote, written on or about April 1st, 1997. Personally [...]

keep looking »