Books, blogs, and other things...

Well...here we are on the verge of another Friday. Lots of Fridays in life. Friday is usually a good day. Again...I find myself rambling.

So what is the last book that you have purchased lately?

Mine was the book, "On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction" by William Zinsser. How many of you have read this raise your hand! It has been around for quite awhile, this is its 30th anniversary edition.

I really like this book. It just reinforces all that I believe about writing. I actually have been highlighting the chapters as I read them. I know, I am a real nerd. The first thing I had to highlight was this:

"This is the personal transaction that's at the heart of good nonfiction writing. Out of it come the two most important qualities that this book will go in search of, warmth and humanity."

I believe these are the two most important qualities I look for as well. You can find information anywhere. Anybody can look up a bunch of facts and put them into some logical order or re-hash common knowledge. But not everybody can interact with the reader in such a way that they feel a connection to the human spirit.

I also especially love this part where Zinsser talks about the kind of writing which he delights in finding:

"What I am always looking for as an editor is a sentence that says something like "I'll never forget the day when I..." I think "Aha! A person"

Writers are obviously at their most natural when they write in the first person. Writing is an intimate transaction between two people, conducted on paper, and it will go well to the extent that it retains its humanity. Therefore I urge people to write in the first person: to use "I" and "me" and "we" and "us." They put up a fight."

He then talks about how many areas of writing discourage this and some for good reason. Journalists do not use "I" in their attempts at objectivity. Businesses and institutions do not want "I" in their reports. English teachers frown upon too many "I" centered papers.

What Zinsser recommends is this: "Even when "I" isn't permitted, it's still possible to convey a sense of I-ness. The political columnist James Reston didn't use "I" in his columns, yet I had a good idea of what kind of person he was, and I could say the same of many other essayists and reporters. Good writers are visible just behind their words. If you aren't allowed to use "I" at least think "I" while you write, or write the first draft in the first person and then take the "I"'s out. It will warm up your interpersonal style."

I defintely agree with this premise. One can learn to write in the style and genre necessary for the purpose, but the writing which is most compelling is writing where you get a true sense of the writer as a human being.

I think I want to come back and go through this book more. I am glad I bought it.

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Speaking of writing, I wanted to share some of my writings for this week.

Sometimes it is possible to discover things that can make you feel happy even in the midst of despair. And sometimes these things can be surprising even to yourself.

This post is called, The Happiness Box

I recently heard the sentiment that "We are more than our bodies" and I thought about this especially with relevance to having a chronic illness such as Multiple Sclerosis. Many days I feel that I am my body. So much of who we are is biologically determined. What are your thoughts?

Join the conversation here with my post, which poses the question, "Are we our bodies?"

I hope you all have a great Friday and weekend!