“One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world.” –Malala Yousafzai Hear the remarkable 16-year-old Pakistani woman–shot in the head by the Taliban for speaking out in favor of education for girls–addressing the U.N. Watch it …
“A writer has the duty to be good, not lousy; true, not false; lively, not dull; accurate, not full of error. He should tend to lift people up, not lower them down. Writers do not merely reflect and interpret life, …
How powerful are words? Powerful enough to spark — and sustain — a revolution. These were written by Thomas Paine in December 1776: These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in …
A long time ago, I heard the term “bootstrapping” described as a journalistic no-no in the newspaper world. It meant inflating the credibility of a source. I haven’t seen the word used that way in years, but I see examples …
“Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air’s salubrity.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Your typical mission statement is a glowing, intended-to-be inspiring description of everything an enterprise believes in. But the other day I read an article arguing that one way to establish your brand is to proclaim what you stand against. And …
I heard two different versions of a news story the other day. Both were aired by major American broadcasters. One of them bugged me. “British Prime Minister David Cameron has called an emergency cabinet meeting…” “There was a bizarre incident …
“True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, As those move easiest who have learn’d to dance.” –Alexander Pope (1688-1744) From “An Essay on Criticism”
Mother’s Day. Patriots’ Day. Veterans Day. I’ve had to use all three in recent writings and spent more than a few minutes trying to figure out where–and whether–to use the apostrophe. So I found this piece in The Wall Street Journal especially …
“She brought you forth out of the cloud of genetics and fed and clothed you and taught you to wipe yourself and say Please and Thank you and never expected you to pay her back, only that you behave appropriately …