between two fires
Since we've just been talking about monkey minds and about attention span related to sentence length, it's only natural that the word of the week should be
attention
If we take a look at what we're saying when we use that word, it'll come clear that really there can be no such thing as attention deficit; it's all a matter of quality.
Written by Ela Harrison
on Friday, 16 January 2015.
Posted in Blogging, All About Words, Mindfulness
blog talks: tl;dr vs. "quicker to write a long letter"
If you're reading this on your computer, you probably have fifteen other tabs open in your browser window, and maybe several other browser windows in the background. One or other of them may chime or sing or yell random phrases at any moment.
If you're reading this on your phone or tablet, as an ever-increasing percentage of you are, this post will have all that browser competition plus apps, phone, and text.
If you've even clicked on "continue reading," you've probably already scrolled ahead, or looked at the size of the scroll bar, to see how long of a read you're in for, whether you can settle in for long enough to see the post through, how many times you'll need to click away to refresh your attention.
Please click "continue reading" now, and do as I just described. I promise I won't keep you long.
Written by Ela Harrison
on Saturday, 10 January 2015.
Posted in Blogging, Mindfulness
private confessions, public confidence
A keystone principle of my work as an editor is confidentiality. I believe this is crucial, whether we're working on a poetry collection or an academic thesis, a science book or a cookbook.
No matter the subject matter or genre, my client is pouring heart and soul into the project. If I'm to help him or her produce their best possible work, the art that's in truest harmony with their creative impulse, s/he must be comfortable confiding in me, confessing to me, trusting me with sh*tty first drafts and skeletons in the closet.
Ad here's the paradox: confidentiality gives birth to confidence!
Written by Ela Harrison
on Wednesday, 07 January 2015.
Posted in All About Words, Literary Citizenship