Wed
Oct
1
“ What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet.
Woody Allen
Yesterday, Jezebel had a post about NYT writers compiling a list of funniest novels, and David Kelly (who put it together) noted that no one chose a novel by a female author.
Am I alone in thinking that Bridget Jones’s Diary (by Helen Fielding) is hilariously funny? I recently re-read it and found myself busting out laughing on the train with such regularity that I stopped trying to restrain myself.
And as a kid, I was obsessed with Barbara Park’s kids’ novels, particularly Skinnybones, Almost Starring Skinnybones, and The Kid in the Red Jacket. I would be doubled over with laughter while reading these books, which probably only added to my naturally uncool status in the classroom. I just went to Amazon, and these books are $6 each. Might have to re-visit those ones.
(Also, I’ve always found the first 50 or so pages of The Catcher in the Rye to be hysterical, but Holden never ceases to charm me.)
http://jezebel.com/5050694/new-york-times-hard+pressed-to-name-funniest-female-novelists
Sun
Sep
14
“ If you have a statue in the city centre, you could go past it every day on your way to school and never even notice it, right — but as soon as someone puts a traffic cone on its head, you’ve made your own sculpture.
Banksy
Thu
Sep
11
“ Good. So it’s settled. So you can go shave your back now. Bye, Jason.
Regina, Mean Girls
Posted Sept. 8th on Craigslist, in the “Gigs” section (NYC):
Need Writing Assistant - $
I’m a freelance writer who needs a college student to help me with my monthly freelance assignments. I am currently overwhelmed with my work and need someone to help write and edit various materials. Student should be based in Manhattan, a solid writer with knowledge of grammar and able to complete assignments on deadline. Might be good opportunity for journalism, creative writing, public relations or marketing major.
Please e-mail resume and one writing sample to the e-mail address above. Position will pay between $50 - $100 a month, possibly more depending on work load.
Whoever posted this ad can’t be too hard up for cash, since he (I’ll assume it’s a man, for sake of pronoun simplicity) is willing to pay someone $50 to $100 a month. A bona fide starving-artist freelancer wouldn’t give up a frickin’ nickel unless it allowed to them to super-size their beer at the dive down the block. Why doesn’t he just turn down a couple assignments?
He wants to pay “a solid writer with knowledge of grammar and able to complete assignments on deadline.” I can only assume that person will be responsible for teaching him proper grammar—not to mention the importance of time-management with regard to meeting deadlines. Here’s how it works, anonymous pseudo-writer: you want the byline, you do the work. It’s called integrity.
As for the potential college student in question, I doubt the clips are significant, given the fact that the writer is pawning them off and paying next to nothing. However, for a college student, those tiny clips can be very useful. When I applied to grad school, I presented the powers that be with a dozen very small clips. But if the powers that be (whether that’s an admissions staff or an editor) had wanted to verify that the clips were indeed mine, they would’ve been able to do so. That’s not the case here. Said college student would just be inviting all kinds of questions about his professional ethics.
In short: write your own stuff, kids.
