Post-Book Slump

I finished a book yesterday, Kory Stamper’s Word by Word, the Secret Life of Dictionaries. I listened to the audiobook because I enjoy hearing authors read their own books, and Ms. Stamper, in particular, has a good voice for audiobooks. She has a conversational tone that captures the nuances of her writing. I first noticed this in her short Ask the Editor videos for Merriam-Webster’s online presence. You may remember that I posted her ‘Plural of Octopus’ video here. She describes herself as shy, not caring for human contact, but she’s quite animated.

Talk of voices and reading aside, there is the problem that I regularly face when reading a book that I love. The morning after. You know what I’m talking about. One day you feel like you’re in love and everything in the world is right, and it’s because you’re reading a book that makes you happy. Sometimes you look forward to the end of the workday, not because you don’t like your job, but because you get to go read afterward.

Then it happens. You finish the book. At first you sit and savor the moment. When I finished reading The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova, I couldn’t start another book for days. The writing stayed with me for a while, and I didn’t want to mess that up by starting a new book. But, it was almost as if I had nothing to come home to. I had become so fond of reading this story, that I was genuinely sad that I had finished. And, the task of finding another book that is as impactful is nearly impossible. It can take a while to work myself into another read, to reset my mental palate.

This morning was different than that, even. I woke up and lay in bed. My cats were happy with this, but that’s beside the point. It almost felt like I had broken up. Reading Word by Word, as well as listening to the podcast, FiatLex (a podcast about dictionaries by people who write them) and the occasional Ask the Editor video gives one the feeling that they have a group of friends. This is the dark underside of social media. We feel like we have all these friends, but really they are just people who are out there talking about things that interest them, who occasionally interact with you. It’s a harsh reality to wake up and remember that you don’t really know these people, they certainly don’t know you and the sense of camaraderie this time was possibly a little too strong.

When I first saw the book, it seemed fascinating and very personal. A book about how dictionaries are written by a real human being that works on them. How awesome is that?! Kory writes, not just about how definitions are made and updated, but about her personal story, about what led her to begin this career and what made her stay. “I didn’t choose the dictionary life. The dictionary life chose me.” What I wasn’t expecting was the drama in some of chapters and the emotion in the epilogue. I don’t want to give too much away, but I recommend you read this book for the sheer joy of it.

Also, I can’t help but have a greater appreciation for dictionaries and reference books. To a certain extent, Merriam-Webster strives to keep their dictionary as impersonal as possible. It’s a reference and people should be able to count on an objective definition, one without somebody’s preconceived notions, opinions or prejudices. That sort of perception leads us to take dictionaries for granted. It is nice to hear the voices of the humans behind them. I’ve learned an appreciation for the front matter in dictionaries. Hell, I’ve learned that the front matter exists. I’ve learned to read the definitions with more attention, and it thrills me to know that they base their definitions on documented usage. We’ve always taken it for granted that dictionaries are an authority, but to know that there is a ginormous collection of documentation that goes back years and decades is amazing.

It’s true that Kory, Peter Sokolowski, Steve Kleinedler, Emily Brewster and all the other people Kory talks about do not know me. Considering the way Kory describes them, they’d probably feel very uncomfortable knowing that I enjoy reading about them. That’s not to say that I won’t keep trying. I interact with them on Twitter (respectfully); I listen to the podcasts and make comments. I promote the podcast to my friends, acquaintances and followers. It’s possible that they might get used to seeing me in their feed. It’s also possible that I wouldn’t like them if I knew them personally. I suppose this is the new world: virtual relationships. I felt a little down this morning when I woke up. But, the Rather Earnest Painter is coming back after my first cup of coffee. Be careful world. I feel good.

Read with fresh eyes the Definition for built-out.

Help Me Learn a New Trick

Goal: Watch TV. No, I mean it this time. 

Around the time I graduated from high school I more or less stopped watching TV. I can't put my finger on exactly when or why; I was just not interested. I think that I have a problem with empathy, like I can't turn it off. When I see slapstick in sitcoms I can't help feeling terribly uncomfortable when Person A is about to do something incredibly embarrassing. This might be why I stopped watching, or it could be an effect of not watching TV for so many years.

So, I'm writing a book. I actually finished writing a novelette and now I'm working on another Work in Progress. I'm about 19 thousand words in, and I just laid out a simple plan to get me through the rest of it. I find it much easier to write this way – with an outline. It allows me to work in production mode better. It's kind of like cooking: I like having a recipe at hand, gathering all of the ingredients around me and then getting started. That way, when I'm cooking, I'm just cooking. If I have an outline, then when I'm writing I'm just writing.

That paragraph did nothing to further the purpose of this blog entry and I should take it out. But, I probably won't.

My point, and I do have one, is that I have connected with some people who are successfully writing in this new digital age and one thing that they talk about is... connecting with people on social media. This way you can build a brand and an audience base, so that if and when you are ready to publish, you already have a following. Brilliant idea. And, one of the ways that they encourage people to connect with others is through the strategic use of hashtags, particularly on Twitter. And, one of the recommendations they have for hashtags on twitter is the name of TV shows that you like, because nothing connects a group of people like talking about a TV show that they are watching, especially at the beginning of  the work day in the office before the manager arrives.

This puts me at a bit of a disadvantage. Saying, "I don't watch TV" will only connect you to a handful of people, and of those people probably only one is worth talking to on a regular basis. I'm kind of missing out on a really good way to connect with people, because probably 99% of the population watches TV and enjoys it. I work hard to find other ways to connect, but maybe I should work smarter and not harder. 

I have had some failed attempts recently to watch shows. There were a couple that legitimately sounded interesting – that were, in fact, interesting. I wasn't uncomfortable watching them and I enjoyed them. But, after so many years of not sitting in front of a television set, I just didn't really have the habit of doing so. It kind of takes some planning or discipline.

One of the shows I wanted to watch was on PBS – Wolf Hall.  I love the intrigue – people vying for positions, calculating their options and either winning or losing in a heated political climate. I watched two episodes and then I never seemed to find myself at home at the right time to finish. I don't have a way to record shows because I don't subscribe to any cable services. That would be unreasonably expensive for somebody who hoped one day to sit down and watch A show and probably wouldn't get around even to that. There's always the option of streaming it after the fact, but I never got around to that, either. (I hear people talking about how many shows they have recorded and when are they going to get around to watching them. All of you; ALL of you do this. I'm not alone in this aspect.) And, that was that.

The other show I wanted to watch was based on a novel that I love called American Gods. It was an amazing novel and when I heard they were making  a series of it, I couldn't wait. I connected with a few people about this. Then, the day came and it was airing. Except, that it wasn't on any station or website. I couldn't even stream it through Amazon. The only way I could watch it was to subscribe to Starz streaming service. I thought about it, and decided that it would be worth it. I saw the first episode and I don't want to admit how many months I paid Starz without ever even launching the app again. But, that first episode was everything I wanted it to be. They did a wonderful job of translating the novel into video. The characters were real, the acting was spot on, the cinematography was captivating... they did a spectacular job. But, clearly sitting in front of a computer scrolling Facebook and reading books is more my style than watching a show on TV that I absolutely love.

I keep saying that I'm going to get my life together. It hasn't quite happened yet.

So now, I try again. I could always go watch Wolf Hall or American Gods, but that's not going to connect me with people. And, I'm not going to be insincere. If I don't like a show, I'm not going to continue watching just to be able to talk to people about it. No, I have to learn to watch television, to stick with it, to discipline myself to see it through from beginning to end. 

I've looked through PBS's Masterpiece offerings. I could do better watching mainstream shows, but I probably wouldn't like them. Poldark looks interesting, and it's in the second season. I would probably have enjoyed Downton Abbey, and that might still be an option. People are still talking about it. (From what I understand the series has ended. This understanding comes from me having done absolutely no research and is solely based on intuition – listening to the world discuss shows. There is a different tone once a series has ended.) Sherlock seems to still be playing. Death Comes to Pemberley and Endeavor are also promising. Of course, these might all be reruns for all I know. I'm not even sure how to tell the difference.

I've often looked back and regretted not watching a show while it was going. X-Files was amazing, from the outsider's point of view. People got together, made hats and tee-shirts that said things like, "Trust No One" and "What Would the Cigarette Smoking Man Do?" And, I didn't discover how fascinating the show Lost was until its final season. All I could think was, 'Man, I really missed out'. A coworker offered to lend me her collection – she owned all of the seasons in DVD. (By the way, don't ever do this. I suck at returning movies.) But, I missed more than just the show. I missed the phenomenon that was being a part of a society that was watching this story unfold. (And, this was before I even wanted to connect with people for professional reasons.) I can't get that back. I can try with another show, but I missed out on that one.

So, here is my plea. You, my faithful readers, do you have any suggestions? I'm flailing in a sea of content and I have no idea where to turn. Do you have any ideas of shows that I might enjoy – PBS or otherwise? I promise to stick to it this time, to see it through. But, I need help. What are some shows that I might like, that also other people might like and that might help me be a part of a group? What are you watching, and how do you feel about it? Do you discuss it with coworkers or friends?

Thank you in advance for your recommendations.

We are the Product

We are the product. We have always been.

I think now is a good time to revisit this idea. It's not a new one; we just tend to forget about it. 

I say this as just a warning to be mindful. I have no intention of leaving Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any of the other social media platforms that might be interesting to me. I enjoy reading other people's stories and seeing pictures of my friends and family. I don't mind the ads, because they are what support the platform that I enjoy using. Sometimes I even click on the ads if I think that they are interesting. This also helps support the platform that I enjoy using, and maybe support local businesses. 

We have been watching television for free for decades - radio even longer. The networks have been selling us to advertisers the whole time. Social media does it more efficiently, I'll grant you, but we know going into it what's happening. We just put it out of our minds.  

When I read about people closing their Facebook account due to the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal, part of me hears them saying, "You should have been sneakier about it so I wouldn't have known!" I understand that there is a difference between the terms we agreed to and millions of users' data being handed over to a political third party. That is unacceptable and they need to be held accountable. But, we don't want them being better at keeping us in the dark. Not really. 

It's a brave new world. The President of the United States uses Twitter rather than the press. Social media is a part of our lives, even if you don't participate in it. We should not be surprised to learn that people are trying to manipulate us with targeted advertising; it's been going on for decades. We SHOULD keep in mind that we have the obligation to consider what we see and read, and then to think for ourselves. Make our own decisions.

And we should remind ourselves of this periodically.  

Perhaps a Different Route?

I haven't watched TV in about 25 years. I've owned one here and there, and I've lived with roommates who've had them, but I didn't watch. About 4 years ago I bought a TV with every intention of watching movies on it. I didn't watch many movies (I bought a set of PBS Masterpiece – Mystery Series – Miss Marple movies and watched all of those, and that was about it.) I have since given the TV to my partner and it sits in the living room. At least he has agreed that it doesn't need to be on all day, every day, regardless of whether he's in there watching it or not. Which means that I can be in the kitchen without listening to guns, violence, canned laughter and commercials. 

I do regret some things, though. At work people talk about shows that they watch. I miss out on that camaraderie. However, if I try to sit and watch one of the shows, I can't make it through an episode. Then, for instance, X Files came to an end and I realized that I had missed quite a bonding moment. Not only that, but it seemed like the storyline took a legitimately interesting turn. That phenomenon, from what I understand, was mostly due to the actress Gillian Anderson having a baby and having to be written out of the script for a few episodes. They decided, hmmm... this show is about paranormal activity... let's have her be abducted by aliens. (This is how it was explained to me, anyway.) Then, BAM. Instant intrigue and depth of plot, and a surge in interest. 

I saw part of one episode of a show in which somebody was watching a very antiquated type of movie (like one that would be shown in a school classroom in the 70's) about having to come into a room and push a button periodically or the world would come to an end. I may be remembering it badly. But, though I thought it was actually kind of interesting, I couldn't sit still through the episode. Then, at the end of the show called Lost, the entire world was watching and talking about it, and the way they described it made it sound fascinating. And, I'd missed out again.

Oh sure, I could rent or buy the seasons and watch them, but I wouldn't be experiencing them with a group of people. I still wouldn't have the part of the experience to which I was most drawn – the interaction. I suppose that I don't miss it enough to sit down and watch the shows, though. I thought that the PBS Masterpiece series, Wolf Hall, would be interesting – and it was, very. But, after the second episode, I couldn't get myself to sit down and watch it. I don't know why. I still want to see it, and they're showing it again. Maybe this time...

Also, there seems to have been a podcast that got quite a bit of attention a couple of years ago. It was called Serial. As I write this I'm wondering whether the world would give a collective groan that I hadn't heard of it before, or a puzzled look indicating that it didn't know or care about this podcast. It could go either way. From all accounts it was wildly popular in the podcast world; I just don't know how big that world is – compared to TV-land, for instance. Nobody that I talk to has heard of it, or really understands the concept of a podcast.

I will listen to it – but again, I will do so after the fact and after everybody else who might be interested has already done so. However, there is a new one. It's called S-Town. Apparently it was released about a week ago, so when I started listening to it, it wasn't yet a week old. I've listened to two episodes so far. They have already released the whole thing, though. Like, I could binge listen to all seven episodes if I wanted. Plus, I still have a lack of people in my circle of friends who listen to podcasts, so I'm struggling to find somebody to discuss it with. I think I'll turn to social media for friends and discussion. 

Quite possibly I need to get out more.

Can We All Just Get Along?!

I had said that my recent change in employment was to enable me more bandwidth for creative endeavors. I can't say that I've written a ton of words since the change began – or painted, or anything else of that nature. I can absolutely attribute most of that to the transition period. However, there is something else, that has been inhibiting my creativity: politics. I don't generally pay much attention to politics because it seems to be outside of my realm of understanding and/or control anyway. But, this year was different. This year (2016, that is) was hateful. This year I paid attention.

A lot came to the surface in the US. I think America's addiction to reality television became painfully apparent, for one thing. I've been alive for 4 decades and I haven't seen a more ridiculous election year in my life. Everybody seemed to have lost their minds. And, I have noticed resentments being displayed in and out of social media – not just bickering, but problems that have been buried in relationships for years. 

I absolutely don't want to rant about who won or who didn't. I care about America; I care about Texas and I care about my family. Kristen Lamb has warned us, as writers, to steer clear of politics in social media, unless our goal is to be political writers. But, this last year hurt my heart, and I can't help but write about that, at least. I have to write about it to get it out of my system, so that I can write about other things, like people interacting with each other... things that I enjoy writing about.

I have friends who have written on Facebook, "If you voted for Trump, please unfriend me." Now, I'm not telling anybody who they can be friends with, but I think that might not be in the best interest of their ultimate goal. It's not that I don't understand their feelings; I feel – and have felt – that way for a long time. A long, long time.

I'm going to make up a friend; we'll call him George – after the nickname that the Abominable Snowman gave to Sylvester the cat. Let's say that George is a gay man who has finally been able to marry the man he's been with for over a decade. (This really does include a lot of people I know.) George feels that, after having made all of this progress, the world is going to turn back to a time when homosexual activity was against the law and legal same-sex marriage was a fantasy. After the election, George feels so abandoned by the world that he writes on his Facebook timeline, "If you voted for Trump, please unfriend me now."

One thing I'd like to point out to my friend, George, is that for the most part, prejudice is a result of people coming into contact with something they are not familiar with. So, by distancing yourself from people who you feel abandoned you, and who you feel voted to have you thrown in jail, you are doing the worst thing possible. You are distancing yourself from people when you should be showing them that you're really an alright guy who happens to be married to a man, that being married to a man really isn't all that outrageous. And, if your rights do begin to be taken away, you should be the loving person in their lives who is hurt, so that they can witness first-hand what a terrible thing it is.

Let me try from a different perspective. Let's assume for a moment that Trump is Satan. (I do not believe that Trump is Satan, nor do I believe that he is the anti-Christ.) By saying, "If you voted for Trump, then unfriend me," you are furthering his agenda of dividing us Americans. You are letting Satan win. Do not let Satan win! 

It seems counter-intuitive, but we could compare this to Jesus meeting the woman at the well. I understand that this is a Christian story and many people feel that extremist Christians are behind a lot of this, but let's just turn their story around. Jesus met a woman at a well – a woman who had been married multiple times and was currently living with a man outside of wedlock. What's more, this woman was a Samaritan – totally beneath Jesus' station. But, he didn't chastise the woman or talk down to her; he just talked with her and then said, "Go and sin no more." Maybe, if we see somebody behaving in a way that we feel is bad, maybe compassion is more effective than hate.

I have one last thing to mention. There are a lot of members of both houses of Congress who changed their 'opinion' of Trump after he won. Not coincidentally, there is going to be another election in 2018. I think it's time that we followed the example of Hillary Clinton. I believe that it is time to work with all of our elected Senators and Representatives, regardless if they are affiliated with the same party that we are. I understand that some of them are voting to defund Planned Parenthood and repeal the Affordable Care Act without having anything to replace it. I still believe that showing up to the table for the conversation is the best approach. If people feel that Trump is a loose cannon who is about to have the codes for nuclear weapons, then it would behoove them to work together with Congress – both houses – against a common enemy. Our Constitution was based on a balance of power. 

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It hurts my heart that two of my brothers are at each other's throats on social media. It hurts my heart to see so much hate every day. It hurts my heart that one man could successfully instill such an 'Us-Against-Them' mentality in our country. Our Constitution is 230 years old. That is a brief moment in time compared to European nations. There is no guarantee that The United States of America will continue to be. We are not the United Republicans of America, nor the United Democrats of America – we have to work together. We have to. I don't want to live through the history of a second U.S. Civil War. Please, let's all be rational people.