My Journalistic Perspective

There are no absolutes. Nothing in this life is always right or always wrong. Everyone views things differently, and we must respect that. Do not ignore a person or idea that may seem insignificant. Listen, observe, ask questions. Always ask questions. Use your experiences, but include other perspectives. Write the truth as best you can. Then leave it up to others to draw their own conclusions.

Writing: It's Harder Than It Looks

While browsing the New York Times Web site, I came across an opinion column by Timothy Egan titled "Typing Without a Clue." The blurb read, "Publishers, let’s set some ground rules: Anyone who abuses the English language on such a regular basis should not be paid to put words in print." After my recent experience with the Twilight Saga, I was eager to hear someone else bash bad writers.

Unlike my Twilight experience, I was not disappointed.

Though Egan didn't mention "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer as someone who shouldn't be allowed near a writing utensil, I truly enjoyed his column. He talked about a new book by Samuel Wurzelbacher (aka Joe the Plumber) and the fact that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is worth nearly $7 million should she ever put her thoughts on paper. He immediately followed with a typical convoluted Palin quote, which inspired the story blurb. Anything that pokes fun at the would-be vice president is right up my alley.

Egan asserted that good writers often work hard for little money and even less recognition, only to learn that someone who can barely string together a sentence is getting a book deal. Writing isn't easy, he said, quoting notable authors who struggled against an empty page. He suggested that if Wurzelbacher really wanted to become a writer, he should read good writing first. Egan hopes that a Barack Obama presidency will raise the standards of the American publishing industry.

As someone who has chosen editing as her career goal, I believe that the quality of American writing helps define our country and our culture. Be it good or bad, writing is the legacy we leave for future generations. I hope to be a positive force in the publishing industry by refusing to allow bad writing to be published. There are plenty of good writers out there who work hard and deserve a little piece of immortality. That's what I want to do as an editor: find good writers and reward them.

Fortunately, there is way for bad writers to have their voices heard that doesn't require publishing houses or unsuspecting readers to spend money on garbage. It's called blogging.

To read Egan's article, visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/opinion/07egan.html?ref=opinion

"Twilight" Has No Bite

Sometime in the three years since the first installment was published, Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga gained a cult following to rival that of the Harry Potter series. Meyer has been heralded as the next JK Rowling, and all four Twilight novels were No. 1 New York Times Bestsellers. With all the hype surrounding the series, I gave in to curiosity and started reading "Twilight," expecting the same pleasant surprise as Harry Potter provided.

I was thoroughly disappointed.

I have several problems with Meyer's 500-page debut. First, she should have done a little research on vampires before writing a four-book series about them. I'm still not convinced they sparkle in the sun. One of her main characters, Edward Cullen, dismisses many well-known facts about vampires (i.e., they burn to dust in the sunlight) as "myth." I know it's fiction, but it's like she didn't want to put in the effort to do any research, so she just made things up.

Most of my criticism is aimed at Meyer's writing style. Her characters have no personality, and the storyline is flat. There is no suspense; all mysteries are too quickly revealed, and all problems are too easily solved.

Meyer has a huge problem with redundancy. It seemed as if every page contained a description of beautiful, perfect, angelic Edward with his bronze hair, topaz eyes and godlike body. I found a Facebook group titled "Stephenie Meyer Needs a Thesaurus" that lists the number of times Meyer used certain words in the series. "Chagrin" was used 15 times in the novels, "marble" 30 times and "perfect" 282 times. The final book alone saw "beautiful" used 61 times.

If I could give Meyer a piece of advice, it would be "Show, don't tell." All she does is tell. "Bella is intelligent. Carlisle is compassionate," Meyer tells her readers, but she offers no proof. The book reads like a play-by-play: "I went to the kitchen and ate a bowl of cereal. Then I got in my truck and drove to school." (These are not actual sentences from the novel; I'm just trying to give examples.)

If all the redundant and boring information was cut, "Twilight" would probably be less than 200 pages and a much better read. The editor in me was tempted to go through the whole novel with a red pen, cutting unnecessary adjectives and replacing weak verbs. But that would mean I'd have to read it again.

To give Meyer a fair chance, I'm reading the second book in the series, "New Moon." I haven't seen much improvement. I haven't decided yet if I want to waste my time on "Eclipse" or "Breaking Dawn."

Hell Yeah, We're Ready

It's been a long time coming.

This time last year, when the Ole Miss Rebels were sitting discontentedly with a 3-9 record (0-8 SEC), no one could have imagined a bowl game in the near future. Yet here we are, No. 22 in the AP poll with a record of 8-4 and a list of victims that includes Florida, Mississippi State, LSU, Auburn and Arkansas.

Fresh off the LSU victory, the Rebels destroyed the Bulldogs in the 2008 Egg Bowl with a final score of 45-0. Ole Miss had school records of 11 sacks and minus 51 yards rushing allowed. The Bulldogs only crossed into Rebel territory twice and scored just 37 total yards. Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom resigned the next day.

Statistics, however, can never portray the mood inside the stadium when Ole Miss stormed to victory. Pom-poms flew furiously as the crowd screamed "Hotty Toddy" and chanted head coach Houston Nutt's name. One player held the Golden Egg aloft as Jamarca Sanford waved a flag emblazoned with the Ole Miss "M." Rebel yells echoed through Vaught-Hemingway Stadium as the crowd reluctantly left the celebration.

Now, Rebel fans wait eagerly to learn which bowl their Cinderella team will play in. Wherever they go, Ole Miss will certainly bring a winning attitude and a hunger for victory.

This season, there has only been one answer to the age-old question, "Are you ready?": Hell yeah!

Always Be Selling

Roger Stolle is every bit the promoter.

The Dayton, Ohio, native and longtime blues fan left a corporate marketing job to open Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art Inc. in Clarkesdale, Miss. Stolle's mission is "Promote from within," a strategy he uses to market his store, blues music and Mississippi. He said he doubts his venture would have been successful were it not for his 13 years of marketing experience.

Stolle's experience didn't go to waste. His Journalism Week presentation was informative and entertaining, but afterward I started wondering if he had been trying to sell us something. He played video clips from the documentary on blues musician Big George Brock and the new blues-pilgrimage movie "M for Mississippi," which was filmed in the Mississippi Delta this spring. Yes, they were perfect examples of the culture that Cat Head is trying to preserve, but was there another motive behind showing those clips?

I just wonder what Stolle thought when an audience member asked where he could buy "M for Mississippi."

Don't Eat Paste; Read It

I came across an interesting article on Paste magazine's Web site. The title alone was enough to draw me in: "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: The Shocking Similarities Between Gospel Music and Death Metal." The subject matter was incredibly interesting, and the writing was smooth and powerful. The author got some really good quotes from band members and from the former editor of a Christian music magazine. Citing song lyrics for comparison was incredibly effective.

I was raised going to a small Baptist church, so I'm familiar with most of those hymns. I also listen to a wide range of music and have heard some pretty gory rock and metal lyrics. I think it's a striking comparison, one that I have never considered but from now on will notice more often.

To read the article (because you know you want to), visit:
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2008/10/sabbath-bloody-sabbath.html

Saving the Arapaho Language

As I was browsing for an article to react to, I came across a New York Times story about the Arapaho tribe of American Indians trying to preserve their native language. In the late 1800s, the U.S. government started boarding schools to educate and "Americanize" Indian children, forbidding them to hold on to tribal customs or even speak their native languages. As a direct result of that initiative, there are only about 200 Arapaho speakers alive today.

Fearing for the fate of their heritage, the Arapaho at Wyoming's Wind River Reservation have established a school where children will learn strictly in their native language. Currently there are about 22 children ranging in age from pre-kindergarten to first grade enrolled at the school. Administrators plan to add a grade each year. Tribal elders hope the school will create a whole new generation of Arapaho speakers.

When I began reading, the first two paragraphs immediately drew me in to the story. It began with a brief anecdote about a 69-year-old Arapaho woman, then immediately shifted to an excellent quote. The article flowed well, explaining the urgency of creating the school and the repercussions of losing a native language. It showed how the loss of a language has a far greater impact than one might assume. Teaching children Arapaho not only preserves the tribe's culture; it also creates an environment where that culture is honored and valued.

The end of the article really impressed me. It included an anecdote of tribal elders listening quietly to songs sung in Arapaho at the school's opening ceremony. The anecdote is followed by this quote: “They are the ones who whispered it on the playground when nobody was looking.” It perfectly links the beginning and ending of the article while showing the strength and perseverance of the Arapaho people.

To read the article, click here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/us/17arapaho.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=arapaho&st=cse&oref=slogin