What are the headlines today in your favorite city? Here’s a nifty website created by the Newseum, Washington, D.C.’s most interactive museum. It’s worth checking out if you’re a fan of news.
8 Ways to Make Your Writing Entertaining
I’m reviewing William Zinsser’s book On Writing Well. On page 297, he shares that not only did he want to write as well as possible, but as entertainingly as possible. To make your piece get attention he suggests use of any of these:
- humor
- anecdote
- paradox
- an unexpected quotation
- a powerful fact
- an outlandish detail
- a circuitous approach
- an elegant arrangement of words
Did I tell you about my favorite vittles recipe?
The 2011 TED Prize Winner – JR
What is the TED prize? From the “about TED”, the TED prize is “designed to leverage the TED Community’s exceptional array of talent and resources. It is awarded annually to an exceptional individual who receives $100,000.
For 2011, the winner was JR for his “One Wish to Change the World.” Over the life of the prize, wishes have led to collaborative initiatives with far-reaching impact.”
The Portable Artist
Bill Cone gave a delightful talk this past Thursday evening at the Studio Gallery in San Francisco. For the past fifteen years he has been producing pastel paintings and he spoke about the landscapes in the show and his techniques. He praised the portability and using ease of pastels while also the fragility of the medium since it can easily smear and has to be presented under glass. His advice to the artists in the audience was to make your art-creating something you do on a daily basis and can work into your routine. Wake up a little earlier and paint for an hour, or stop by to paint a scenic spot on your way to work. You can see Cone’s work at his blog at http://billcone.blogspot.com.