Word of the Day
Willowy (adj., WILL-oh-ee)
Bordered by willow trees or something that is tall, slender, and graceful like a willow tree, like a dancer on the side of City Hall.
Gif of the Day
AnimalsDogsTurtlesUnorthodox transportation methodsSlow and steady leads the raceDog and pony show?
Link of the Day
Jane Austen's word choices reveal more about her writing
Virginia Woolf once noted that Jane Austen, of all the great writers, is "the most difficult to catch in the art of greatness." The New York Times attempts to figure out why Jane Austen's work endures and what distinguishes it by analyzing her words, and comes away with some interesting details:
It is at the heart of Austen’s work: What is going on behind the veneer that politeness demands? These distinctive words, word clusters and grammatical constructions highlight her writerly preoccupations: states of mind and feeling, her characters’ unceasing efforts to understand themselves and other people.
Human nature (together with the operation of time) is the true subject of all novels, even those full of ghosts, pirates, plucky orphans or rides to the guillotine. By omitting the fantastical and dramatic elements that fuel the plots of more conventional novels both of her own time and ours, Austen keeps a laser focus.
It's a great analysis. Go read the whole article.
WritingJane AustenGreatness, veiledMotivations, unclearSelf-knowledge, perhapsAre you persuaded?