Category Archives: debate

July 10, 2012   Brenna   awards, Brenna, buzz, classics, debate, fiction, great books  
1

What Really Happened with the Pulitzer

Just yesterday, Michael Cunningham, one of the Pulitzer jurors this year, posted a letter on The New Yorker’s website explaining why there was no fiction winner this year. Finally, some clarification! Or, so I thought–but then comes the acknowledgement that because the Pulitzer board’s discussions are sealed, nobody but the board itself will ever really know what happened. Oh well…

Disappointment and curiosity aside, Cunningham’s letter was a refreshingly honest glimpse of what it’s like to take part in nominating books for such a renowned and highly regarded prize. The highlight for me was when he cited the differences between the three jurors, and which features in novels they’re each partial to. I also found merit in the comment, made by HENKE_M, that suggested seeing this as an opportunity to read three worthy novels, instead of just one.

Cunningham posted a reflective follow up letter today, outlining the issues that arise when faced with choosing the best, and observing that even the most lauded critics can miss a classic.

So, now, I’ll reach out to you, have you read any of the three nominees: “The Pale King” by David Foster Wallace, “Train Dreams” by Denis Johnson, or “Swamplandia!” by Karen Russell? What title do you think deserved to win?

July 03, 2012   John   debate, John, opinion, punctuation, writing  
11

The great semicolon debate

Okay, it’s not that “great” a debate, but there was a fun piece yesterday on the Times website about semicolons, and how the author came to change his long-held antipathy toward semicolons—ingrained at an early age from Kurt Vonnegut—by reading William James. Love the illustration, and if you have time, read the comments—lots of great feedback and citations there.

Personally, I’ve had a negative opinion of semicolons, and as an editor I would regularly strike them from authors’ manuscripts. My feeling, echoed by every copyeditor I ever worked with, was that in kids’ books they stood out like sore thumbs. Indeed, I loved the comment from the sixth-grade teacher, who wrote that when she sees a semicolon in a kid’s paper, it’s invariably plagiarized. It’s just not a device that feels natural to a kid’s way of viewing the world, and as such, should probably be avoided at all costs.

But now that I’m an agent and working on a lot of adult projects, I’m finding that in certain contexts and genres, semicolons not only make sense but fill a vital role. Certainly in nonfiction, I agree with the author that the deft use of a semicolon can suggest a connection that other forms of punctuation—especially my beloved em-dashes—can’t quite pull off.

In fact, I’m wondering if in general, genre and categories provide a better guide for usage, rather than a simple yes/no in all circumstances. Indeed, I found it odd that the author of the piece didn’t acknowledge that his change of heart resulted from reading nonfiction (James) rather than fiction (Vonnegut). But then again, when it comes to style, maybe fiction and non aren’t the apples and oranges I’m making them out to be?

Anyway, Grammar Fans, I’d love to know your thoughts, and where you fall in the debate. Do you ever use semicolons? If so, for all types of writing? Who knows, depending on the response, you might see some more semicolons in my blog posts going forward; or not.

 

March 15, 2011   Stephanie   debate, e-books, feuds, opinion, reading, Stephanie  
11

The library debate

Today I wanted to bring up the new debate currently raging between publishers and libraries. As you may or may not know, HarperCollins recently enacted new restrictions on e-books purchased by libraries, only allowing each book to be checked out twenty-six times before expiring.  This has essentially upended library lending policies, whereby e-books were previously lent out an unlimited number of times. In the publisher’s defense, HarperCollins is attempting to update a policy first created long before e-books gained a foothold in the market, as well as avoid losing an important part of their revenue that comes with replacing old or worn physical books. But on the opposite side, libraries now face apportioning more of their already slim budgets for replacing the e-books after they expire.

The issue has stirred up resistance from librarians across the country, and for now, the debate shows little sign of dying down. I’d love to hear your take on this dispute.  Does your local library offer e-book lending? Have you ever borrowed an e-book from your local library? Do you agree with HarperCollins’s new policy? Let me know!

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