diction

Pippin: "I didn't think it would end this way..."

Gandalf: "End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path...One that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all change to silver glass... And then you see it."

Pippin: "What? Gandalf? ...See what?"

Gandalf: "White shores...and beyond... the far green country under a swift sunrise."

Pippin: "Well, that isn't so bad."

Gandalf: "No...No it isn't."

Excerpted from the movie but the crucial phrases, of course, are all Tolkien's.

I've become extremely conscious of word choices recently. A good thing, I assure you. For example, in the previous sentence, is "extremely" necessary? Does it add anything? i think the answer is no. it adds an element of degree, but not much else. I'm learning a few well-chosen adjectives or just the right verb bring writing to life. And there's a certain art to passing on your meaning with as few words as possible, laying each one down with deliberate and precise meaning. Of course, one must balance leanness with rhythm and pacing, and sometimes that extra adjective just makes the sentence flow right - without it, the phrase would seem stilted and incomplete. I think most writers would agree grace should trump any grammatical rule.

Tolkien's phrases send shivers down my spine. In such few words, he evokes powerful emotion and imagery. How long did he sit and ponder his choices, trying diffent combinations until they rang true? Here's the original passage from the book:

And it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.

Grey to silver is a clever transition. Nearly the same colors, but each carries unique connotations. "Was rolled back" - passive voice, which we're taught - ad nauseum - to avoid, but deliberate here, implying events beyond Frodo's control (and again, for grace. Can you imagine rewriting this into active tense?). "White shores" is just beautiful. One could argue "far" is redundant. After all, if it's beyond, wouldn't it be far? But "far green country" is more graceful than simply "green country", and we realize here that "far" might convey more than just physical distance, but spiritual, too. And finally, "swift", the adjective that brings motion to the entire sentence.

(okay, better go back to work...)

six feet under

what is it about this show that just leaves you feeling empty inside? after we watch an episode, ryan and i just sit on the couch in silence, trying to reabsorb life. i started watching in the third season and got hooked. it's not that much better than a soap opera, but the characters are more real and quirkier and the storytelling compelling and creative. we stopped cable after season 4, so for the last year we've been hanging, desperately avoiding all spoilers. now, finally ,we've started watching the last season.

its strange that the show can be so addictive and yet so annoying at the same time. i swing from muttering in disgust and disdain at the characters and their stupidy, to clutching the couch cushions, thinking, oh no, poor nate!

at the same time, it makes me so happy for my relationship. i mean, heck, the people in the show are _dys_functional. by watching them do everything wrong, it shows me how we are doing everything, well, not completely right, but at least better than they are. the emptiness comes from witnessing people in relationships not act out of love and respect but out of resentment, fear, and anger.

if i were sony, i'd be pissed

popular science magazine titled sony's new e-reader "an ipod for your books".

at any rate, it's pretty interesting technology, though it can't compare to having a magazine or book to flip through on bart (which is something i'm getting used to now that i'm a working stiff!).