Chrisonomicon
Journal & Weblog Write to Save Your Life May 5, 2003

Wordlog

malevolent / malignant
'Malevolent' is literally 'wishing ill', as a 'malevolent' look or tone of voice. 'Malignant', a more powerful word, means 'wishing to cause harm' as a 'malignant' delight in someone else's misfortunes. With reference to diseases it means 'causing death', as a 'malignant' growth -- contrasted with a 'benign' one which is not normally fatal.
(The Penguin Dictionary of the Confusibles)

compendium
does not mean vast and all-embracing but a succinct summary or abridgement. A compendium provides a complete summary in a brief way.
(The Penguin Dictionary for Writers and Editors)

gunki monogatari
Japanese narratives. Gunki monogatari, or "medieval war tales," dramatized the divisive civil wars that rocked Japan between 1156 and 1221 and resulted in imperial power struggles. Developed during the Kamakura (1185-1333) and Muromachi (1333-1568) periods of Japanese history, these tales institutionalized bravery, courage, and loyalty as a part of the Japanese national character, and formed the basis of many of the plots of Noh and Kabuki plays of traditional Japanese theater. The most highly regarded of these was the Heike monogatari, which dramatized the arrogance of the warring imperial-guard families of the 1180's and their eventual downfall. The medieval war tales contained a strong Buddhist subtext, in that they continually pointed out the ephemeral nature of human life and action.
(The Dictionary of Global Culture)

 
Booklog

Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakam
The woman pushed on the baby's stomach and sucked its penis into her mouth; it was thinner than the American menthols she smoked and a bit slimy, like raw fish.

Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges
In 1517, Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, feeling great pity for the Indians who grew worn and lean in the drudging infernos of the Antillean gold mines, proposed to Emperor Charles V that Negroes be brought to the isles of the Caribbean, so that they might grow worn and lean in the drudging infernos of the Antillean gold mines.

Finished

 
Howard Dean for President, 2004

Webring
« < ? > »
List | Join

 


Powered by

and

Are you one of those handy types with too much time on your hands? Build your own MySQL/PHP-powered weblog, too.


"Creativity Abounds"
posted Friday, May 31, 2002:

In absence of internet and television distractions, I've accelerated an old hobby of mine, reading some of backlogged books that have accumulated in my reading queue and finishing the first in a series of guilty pleasures by Robert Jordan. Cale has managed to cull a bit of guilt from my affection for fantasy epics by equating it to watching television, so I picked up a dusty book I found in Memphis last summer by Eric Booth, The Everyday Work of Art, to find some particularly reassuring passages:
All people have this naturally healthy, joyful, creative instinct beaming in them, even as they try to put together good lives within workaday realities. We all wear the concerned, urgent faces of… parents… and the nervous, earnest face of the incipient artist. We live best when we provide for both sets of needs.

It had been a long-fought war before I finally realized this bit of wisdom for myself, although the conclusion had never been completely, solidly cemented in my head. More:

Fulfillment lies in balance, of course; but many people over-rely on the protectors' priorities. When the vulnerable creative impulse is overlooked, or not guided well, it gets pushed, battered, demanded and twisted into serving a source that depletes it. Sadly, we can end up dancing to every tune except the quiet one that is our own.

I pulled the remaining boxes out of my apartment, unloaded my books, and took out the few garbage bags that had amassed in my dining area and, upon returning, was struck by a novel idea to skip investing in a dining room set and transform it into a mini-studio, noticing it's convenient access to kitchen sink, ventilating front-door, and adjustable track lighting.

Just another advantage to sole occupation of one's living space: creativity is allowed free reign and virtually limitless expression. «

Older Entries


Photo: Chris

AUTHOR
Chris Paul

OCCUPATION
Engineer

LOCATION
Colorado, USA

CONTACT
Form and mailto

Wishlist

Syndicate [RDF]

 

Tools
(Drag these to your Links Toolbar)

Google Search
Dictionary
Thesaurus

 
Writing

Word a Day
EatMoreWords
Serial Text
The Fray
Über.nu
Wrote

Community

AdBusters
Arts & Letters
GLBT Weblogs
Webqueeries

Web Design

A List Apart
DNF
WDVL

Technical

Ars Technica
Geek.com
Hard OCP
Linux.org
PHP.net
Slashdot
Tom's HW

Weblogs
 
Top Copyright © 1999-2003, Chrisonomicon