Blog Archives
Literary Literalness
Words have a way of taking on a life of their own, grasping the pen or keystrokes from the writer and venturing off into far and away tangents with no rescue line back to the original point in the first place. This, of course, begs the question of what was attempting to be answered in this evolving collection of increasingly obscure sentences? Where is the clarity, the weapon of choice for wordsmiths to make simple of the mysteries around us that results in before unknown and, therefore, profound revelations?
Let me take a second pass at this.
A scene from the upcoming film Genius starring Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Laura Linney captures the contentious, even torturous, relationship between writer and editor.
The process for great writers is often unconventional. Bottling the inspiration for the next great American novel is impossible to predict and anticipate. It happens when it happens for that patient, and ironically persistent, author. In rare circumstances, a finished product, after dozens of scratch-outs, edits and Whiskey splotches, upends the literary world.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby comes to mind.
Fun Fact: Speaking of the late great Mr. Fitzgerald, Max Perkins (portrayed by Colin Firth) was his editor.
Returning to the clip above, Jude Law plays author Thomas Wolfe in what looks like a fascinating journey back to an age of literary giants in the early 20th century. Set for a June 10th release date, Genius is based on National Book Award winner Max Perkins: Editor of Genius.
Get ready to engage in another book vs. movie debate with notes of your own…
or edits, if you will.
7 Words (& More) You Can Say on TV
Our culture in 3 1/2 minutes.
Remember when George Carlin was the caliber of comedian you could see watching The Tonight Show? George was funny, brilliant and, yes, curious about the world around him. That routine above is not only impressive for its performance value, but it’s a perfect encapsulation of the type of clever writer Carlin was throughout his career.
Every word was written and said with purpose. That precision combined with his insight and eye-popping mannerisms are what elevated him to the biggest, brightest stage of stand-up comedy. He grabbed your attention, kept it and closed every show with that same energy and an exclamation point.
His stuff was awesome.
Happy Throwback Thursday!
P.S. RIP George Carlin.
‘One More Thing’ with PR
(Evigshed Magazine)
Every story has a beginning, middle and an end…
with twists, turns and surprises.
Distinguishing quality between firms/brands (ie- the grocery shelf test) is found on or between known and new. And working with media/journalists is a key dynamic in this task. Perhaps the most critical (and subtle) strategy in working with this relentless force of inquiry is knowing what the fourth estate wants to know and focus on.
One of the ultimate goals of a PR campaign is for its audience to ask about the company and/or products. The media is no different. Instead of focusing exclusively on responses one news release at a time, crafting an interweaving arc for the company sparks next-level intrigue.
Stories are what people want. They want it with their investments, their favorite consumer brands, charities, business partners, celebrities, television shows and movies, books, friends and family.
People read words and financial statements, but they connect with stories. And when this happens, the firm becomes more than a company and the governing philosophy reinforces the balance sheets. The firm transforms into an extension of the customer. Media/journalists want to invest their time in a Steve Jobs and Apple, reporting on the successes and failures alike with curiosity about what will happen next through an optimistic lens.
Steve Jobs > Steve Wozniak in the public eye because his personal journey of ultimately “playing the orchestra” with a hungry and foolish imagination is relatable and inspiring to people.
Strategically developing, promoting, and aggrandizing clients in a variety of ways in the PR universe is a tough, yet highly-rewarding venture. And elevating a company above its competition, in part, requires eye-catching opening statements to the media and the public.
Like a headline.
The Power of a Pen and Paper
Despite the fact the video interview below is from December of 2012 of The New York Times Magazine, it’s always insightful to get a peak inside the mind of a truly great, creative writer. Jerry Seinfeld is an excellent, iconic stand-up comedian (lucky to have seen him twice), but he’s first a writer. And that’s why this interview is being posted. It’s partly about the subject matter (comedy), but it’s mostly about listening to and seeing the complex, simple, predictable and unpredictable process for writing material that entertains and captures widespread attention and imagination.
And listening to Jerry Seinfeld describe his method is worth your time, especially for a few minutes on a random Tuesday.
Consistently making “nothing” sound interesting and engaging to an audience for a half-hour on television for nine seasons or for an hour on stage or during a five-minute interview is a skill that requires knowing more than a little something about the things we see and do everyday, but just don’t realize until he starts reminiscing about the joys of Pop-Tarts.
Being able to discover those perceptive reveals is nothing to laugh about.
Well, maybe it is…
Jimmy's Daily Planet 