This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (3,317) on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. Hi, This has been The Week of Interesting Things for me. Most of my weeks could take that moniker, but this one seemed especially full. I try to put a lot of interesting things I find into the newsletter, but I • Read More »
Archives: crimes against English
Another painting giveaway; Amazon gift cards; Pliny the Younger, Rome’s great eyewitness reporter; newsletter, Feb. 2, 2018
February 5, 2018 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: books, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, newsletter, watercolor, writers, writing.This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (4,222) on Friday, February 2, 2018. Hi, I watched a super moon, a blood moon, and a lunar eclipse this week. Not as spectacular as the solar eclipse we saw last summer but still pretty phenomenal. Nature has its moments — many of them, in fact, if we would • Read More »
The first real-life private eye; Neil Sheehan; more crimes against English; newsletter, Jan. 26, 2018
January 29, 2018 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: newsletter.This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email (4,302) list on Friday, January 26, 2018. Hi, Unseasonably warm weather in East Tennessee last weekend allowed us to check on the beehives, and I am happy to report that both of my hives have bees! This is good news. The biggest challenge a beekeeper has • Read More »
The Digital Reader: 8 Common Phrases that You May Be Getting Wrong; plus a bit from JPROF
January 23, 2018 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: journalism, writing.Nate Hoffelder, the Digital Reader, gives us – at a quick glance – eight phrases that we might be getting wrong. They’re all packaged neatly in a simple infographic. The phrases: for all intensive purposes (my personal favorite) reign in baited breath sneak peak mute point case and point extract revenge peaked my curiosity Hoffelder leaves • Read More »
Readers track down more crimes against English; Ross Macdonald; newsletter, Jan. 19, 2018
January 22, 2018 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: newsletter.This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (4,379) on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. Hi, Winter has settled in in a big way in my part of the world. Plenty of time for indoor activities, the most important of which is reading. But that’s not the only one. Some writing and some painting • Read More »
Raymond Chandler and the development of the ‘private eye’; newsletter, Jan. 12, 2018
January 15, 2018 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: journalists, newsletter, watercolor.This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (4,500) on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. Special note: If you have unsubscribed to this list previously, I apologize for this email. I had some problems with the list over the past couple of weeks — due mainly to my incompetence — and some unsubscribers may have • Read More »
The death of a great mystery writer; and more crimes against English; newsletter Jan. 5, 2017
January 8, 2018 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: newsletter.This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (3,662) on Friday, January 5, 2017. Special note: If you have unsubscribed to this list previously, I apologize for this email. I had some problems with the list this week — due mainly to my incompetence — and some unsubscribers may have been added back in. • Read More »
A bit of wisdom from Henry Watson Fowler
January 5, 2018 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: books, writers, writing.Fowler’s Dictionary of Modern English Usage is still one of the best references for those interested in how the language is used.
More on the ‘private eye’ and Dashiell Hammett; lots of reader response this week
January 1, 2018 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: newsletter, Private eye.This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (4,431) on Friday, Dec. 29, 2017. Hi, A lot of you readers took the time to respond to various parts of the newsletter last week, and I have included some of those responses here. Thanks to you all. Your responses make great reading, and I • Read More »
The private eye’s business is trouble; newsletter, Dec. 22, 2017
December 25, 2017 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: newsletter, Private eye.This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (4,466) on Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year. Tis the season to celebrate, and there are lots of good greetings out there. I wish you good fellowship, good friends and family, good food, good music, and • Read More »
Jean Ritchie and the dulcimer revival — and much more; your pet peeves about English
December 4, 2017 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: newsletter, Women writers and journalists.This newsletter was sent to those on Jim’s email list (4,189) on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. Hi, Last week’s entry about America’s first published poet, Anne Bradstreet, brought this from one of our newsletter readers, Robin K., who has done a good bit of genealogical research on her family: I thought that name looked familiar – I’m • Read More »