This is no doubt well known to you and your brilliant community of readers, so forgive the redundancy, but I can't resist. Apropos of the musical values of Frost and Dickinson: "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" can be sung to "Hernando's Hideaway," and c. 75% of Dickinson's canon to "The Yellow Rose of Texas."
Likewise, I came here to add a note about The Yellow Rose. I also didn't know it fit the tune of Hernando's Hideaway. (But I did know that you can sing the Doxology to the latter, praise god!)
In a 'great minds think alike' moment (though I don't love that phrase, as it always feels braggadocious) the main character in my novel, I Know What You Did, has a tattoo of her life motto: The only way out is through.
I prefer the construction "should not," rather than "shouldn't." The former sounds more declarative, and may not have to sound negative, depending on the emphasis on "should" or "not," or lack therefore.
I will leave Big Social Commentary to the Big Social Commentators, but it pleases me to know, Maureen, that my meanderings can be soothing and cheering. (I guess it's part of why I do them...?)
And thank you for making your newsletter available to all, at no charge. We will of course buy anything that you sell in the future - books, games, etc.
Totally understand. I’ve long felt that poetry and other literature have worth as art in how YOU react to it. Which has led me to focus more on the writing side of English class offerings rather than literature.
I mean, I was one of those kids who didn’t, big surprise, need to be coerced into reading, or into thinking about what I was reading. And some of my teachers—some, not by any means all—could suck the life out of anything.
Regarding footnote 3. School didn't just suck the magic out of poetry, it applied the same formula ("What does it really mean?" What does it represent?") to literature and art history. "What are the three important things about Plato's 'Cave'?" "Why were Huck and Jim trying to get to Cairo?"
I was at least lucky to have had a great art history teacher at college (though right now I wish I could remember his name; I might have it written down somewhere on an old paper). I remember the day he came into class and said "Did you see the moon last night? That was a real Wright of Derby moon."
I just had to admit to my husband that I am well aware he married the world’s biggest word nerd because I was laughing so hard reading this (especially the footnotes) and knew he would never get it. He quickly agreed with me without my having to provide evidence. Thank you for the best laugh I’ve had in the last week. I will never think about Mother’s Day the same way again.
Just written a post about how not all of the Carboniferous limestone belongs to the Carboniferous Limestone - which used to be called the Mountain Limestone even though much of it isn't in the mountains and not all mountain limestone belongs to the Mountain Limestone. Okay I had some non-copyediting points to make as well.
If I may complain, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall", somehow has been overtaken by the line "Good fences make good neighbors", completely negating the actual meaning of Frost's poem The Mending Wall. Drives me crazy. This will never be repaired in the public's mind, so I have to bear the pain, if not in total silence.
I like to listen to Gertrude Stein being read—and there are some fine recordings of her reciting her own stuff—but I absolutely can't read her for more than two minutes at a time.
After seeing the beautiful film of The Age of Innocence, and then reading the book, I felt like murdering someone in my high school English department for assigning Ethan Frome. Forcing that book on us kept me away from Edith Wharton's work for *years, * and now I love her. You say it's 'perfectly acceptable' - I can barely bring myself to look at a copy of it again.
PS: Thanks for reminding me that the "Alonzo" line is from Meet Me in St. Louis. It sounded familiar but I couldn't quite place it. The opening ketchup making scene crosses my mind often when I'm cooking and someone else is in the kitchen. (I also had no idea people used to cook homemade ketchup before seeing that movie. I mean, it comes in a bottle from Heintz or maybe Del Monte if they're out of Heintz - It's ALWAYS been like that, right?)
I too was assigned to read Ethan Frome in high school, but I just loved it. I do not remember anything about a red pickle plate. I have read a few other Edith Wharton novels since and found them just as compelling. Now I wish I had the time and inclination to read even more of them.
Thank you, Benjamin, for this bit of joy in the midst of a crappy week. I laughed/snickered multiple times. I have to have two copies of your writing open at once so that I can peruse the text and the footnotes without having to scroll up and down. Not complaining.
When you get to a superscript number, either float your cursor over it (if you’re on your desktop) or tap on it (if you’re on your phone), and the footnote will make itself known. And when you float away from it (or tap on the x you should see on your phone), it’ll go away.
(This is not a thing that’s patently obvious, and a lot of people don’t learn about it till someone actually points it out to them.)
I can't remember if I stumbled upon it accidentally or someone pointed it out to me, but either way, it's not the most obvious thing on earth. At least not to me.
Thank you for this tip. I'm a newbie to your Substack, and I love your writing, but the question of how to make the footnotes reading easier has been floating around my head unanswered since I started.
Well, thank you for being here (and for liking my writing!), and I'm glad that the process of reading so many footnotes is about to be vastly simpler for you!
This is no doubt well known to you and your brilliant community of readers, so forgive the redundancy, but I can't resist. Apropos of the musical values of Frost and Dickinson: "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" can be sung to "Hernando's Hideaway," and c. 75% of Dickinson's canon to "The Yellow Rose of Texas."
I knew about "Yellow Rose," I didn't know about "Hernando"! This is an exciting revelation!
Likewise, I came here to add a note about The Yellow Rose. I also didn't know it fit the tune of Hernando's Hideaway. (But I did know that you can sing the Doxology to the latter, praise god!)
Native Texan; had to try that out.
Man, I love this Stack, and now I know I’m a member of a brilliant community. Cool.
In a 'great minds think alike' moment (though I don't love that phrase, as it always feels braggadocious) the main character in my novel, I Know What You Did, has a tattoo of her life motto: The only way out is through.
I love knowing this!
I prefer the construction "should not," rather than "shouldn't." The former sounds more declarative, and may not have to sound negative, depending on the emphasis on "should" or "not," or lack therefore.
Darned autocorrect. "thereof"
I think perhaps we *shall* make it through the next four years, with your help. Thank you, Benjamin. Number twelve's footnote is a hoot!
I will leave Big Social Commentary to the Big Social Commentators, but it pleases me to know, Maureen, that my meanderings can be soothing and cheering. (I guess it's part of why I do them...?)
And thank you for making your newsletter available to all, at no charge. We will of course buy anything that you sell in the future - books, games, etc.
Robert Pack growls “it takes all kinds of indoor and outside schooling to keep up with my kind of fooling”
Officially "farmers market" - phew!
But we'll keep ladies' room and men's room for old times' sake.
I read through all of your footnotes and I can't stop laughing. I needed that, so thank you.
❤️
Do you have a good resource for “The Road Not Taken”? I’ve long felt it’s been misunderstood and would love to have something to share.
I don't, really. I just think it's a very good poem, and very easy to take in, and the last thing it needs is to be murdered with explanation.
Totally understand. I’ve long felt that poetry and other literature have worth as art in how YOU react to it. Which has led me to focus more on the writing side of English class offerings rather than literature.
I mean, I was one of those kids who didn’t, big surprise, need to be coerced into reading, or into thinking about what I was reading. And some of my teachers—some, not by any means all—could suck the life out of anything.
I thought this one was pretty wonderful: Poet and critic David Orr's book
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/315303/the-road-not-taken-by-david-orr/
Regarding footnote 3. School didn't just suck the magic out of poetry, it applied the same formula ("What does it really mean?" What does it represent?") to literature and art history. "What are the three important things about Plato's 'Cave'?" "Why were Huck and Jim trying to get to Cairo?"
I was at least lucky to have had a great art history teacher at college (though right now I wish I could remember his name; I might have it written down somewhere on an old paper). I remember the day he came into class and said "Did you see the moon last night? That was a real Wright of Derby moon."
I just had to admit to my husband that I am well aware he married the world’s biggest word nerd because I was laughing so hard reading this (especially the footnotes) and knew he would never get it. He quickly agreed with me without my having to provide evidence. Thank you for the best laugh I’ve had in the last week. I will never think about Mother’s Day the same way again.
Every time I narrate the Mother's Day thing, some people get so furious at me, personally, as if it's my job to rename the holiday.
If I had that kind of power, I wouldn't be expending it on renaming holidays, I'll tell you that much.
Just written a post about how not all of the Carboniferous limestone belongs to the Carboniferous Limestone - which used to be called the Mountain Limestone even though much of it isn't in the mountains and not all mountain limestone belongs to the Mountain Limestone. Okay I had some non-copyediting points to make as well.
I am beside myself with delight to read this.
If I may complain, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall", somehow has been overtaken by the line "Good fences make good neighbors", completely negating the actual meaning of Frost's poem The Mending Wall. Drives me crazy. This will never be repaired in the public's mind, so I have to bear the pain, if not in total silence.
You may indeed complain.
I have always found that the best way out - for an adulterer, at least - is through a window … first floor preferred.
A murder indeed.
And I very nearly expired upon reading:
“All of Gertrude Stein is [sic]; it needn’t ever be stated.”
Thank you for a much needed laugh.
I like to listen to Gertrude Stein being read—and there are some fine recordings of her reciting her own stuff—but I absolutely can't read her for more than two minutes at a time.
After seeing the beautiful film of The Age of Innocence, and then reading the book, I felt like murdering someone in my high school English department for assigning Ethan Frome. Forcing that book on us kept me away from Edith Wharton's work for *years, * and now I love her. You say it's 'perfectly acceptable' - I can barely bring myself to look at a copy of it again.
PS: Thanks for reminding me that the "Alonzo" line is from Meet Me in St. Louis. It sounded familiar but I couldn't quite place it. The opening ketchup making scene crosses my mind often when I'm cooking and someone else is in the kitchen. (I also had no idea people used to cook homemade ketchup before seeing that movie. I mean, it comes in a bottle from Heintz or maybe Del Monte if they're out of Heintz - It's ALWAYS been like that, right?)
I too was assigned to read Ethan Frome in high school, but I just loved it. I do not remember anything about a red pickle plate. I have read a few other Edith Wharton novels since and found them just as compelling. Now I wish I had the time and inclination to read even more of them.
Thank you, Benjamin, for this bit of joy in the midst of a crappy week. I laughed/snickered multiple times. I have to have two copies of your writing open at once so that I can peruse the text and the footnotes without having to scroll up and down. Not complaining.
When you get to a superscript number, either float your cursor over it (if you’re on your desktop) or tap on it (if you’re on your phone), and the footnote will make itself known. And when you float away from it (or tap on the x you should see on your phone), it’ll go away.
(This is not a thing that’s patently obvious, and a lot of people don’t learn about it till someone actually points it out to them.)
Oh wow, thank you! I will give that a try. Not that I mind having two screens open, but your way sounds easier. 😊
I can't remember if I stumbled upon it accidentally or someone pointed it out to me, but either way, it's not the most obvious thing on earth. At least not to me.
Thank you for this tip. I'm a newbie to your Substack, and I love your writing, but the question of how to make the footnotes reading easier has been floating around my head unanswered since I started.
Well, thank you for being here (and for liking my writing!), and I'm glad that the process of reading so many footnotes is about to be vastly simpler for you!