Stephanie Whetstone – Page 31

A Fine Balance (1995) by Rohinton Mistry

Stephanie Whetstone2017-04-01T12:00:52-04:00

Critical Assessment “American readers hearing the name of yet another important English-language novelist from Bombay probably want to know how he compares with Salman Rushdie, so I'll give it a try: Less hyper, to start with the obvious, less given to flashy virtuoso display, more open to genuine wonder and sorrow at the ways people manage to endure. When both authors are at their very best, Mr. Mistry brings to mind Bruegel, Mr. Rushdie Hieronymus Bosch.” A. G. Mojtabai, "An Accidental Family," The New York Times, June, 23, 1996. First Excerpt "Dina's father had been a doctor, a GP with a [...]

A Fine Balance (1995) by Rohinton MistryStephanie Whetstone2017-04-01T12:00:52-04:00

Writing at Its Best by Anne Merrill

Stephanie Whetstone2020-03-19T13:34:49-04:00

Writing at Its Best by Anne Merrill This post continues our series of reflections on the nature of “good writing.” For Anne Merrill '18, Princeton Writes' Undergraduate Fellow, writing at its best transforms the way we experience the world and all the creatures in it. It happens all the time — I’ll be walking across a field on a misty morning, for example, carefully placing my feet to avoid stepping on worms, prompted by respect for these “lowly organised creatures.” Darwin’s words guide me, his assertions about earthworms are stored in my memory and spring to the surface on a rainy day. [...]

Writing at Its Best by Anne MerrillStephanie Whetstone2020-03-19T13:34:49-04:00

Night at the Fiestas (2015) by Kirstin Valdez Quade

Stephanie Whetstone2017-03-01T10:00:34-05:00

Critical Assessment "The collection reminds us, again and again, that each of us has only one life, and forces us to confront the biggest questions: Shouldn’t that one life matter, shouldn’t that life be worth remembering, shouldn’t it be worth examining, contemplating, pursuing in understanding, even though all varieties of understanding are so difficult, so time-bound, so provisional? "This is a variety of beauty too rare in contemporary literature, a synthesis of material and practice and time and courage and love that must have cost its writer dearly; it’s not easy to be so vulnerable so consistently. Quade attempts, page by [...]

Night at the Fiestas (2015) by Kirstin Valdez QuadeStephanie Whetstone2017-03-01T10:00:34-05:00

dyspeptic (dĭs-PĔP-tĭk)

Stephanie Whetstone2017-02-27T12:00:43-05:00

Definition (Adjective) Showing depression of spirits like that of a person suffering from dyspepsia; morbidly despondent or gloomy. In Context "He always wore a dyspeptic and anguished look, as if he was not really enjoying himself." Anthony Slide, Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses, 2002.

dyspeptic (dĭs-PĔP-tĭk)Stephanie Whetstone2017-02-27T12:00:43-05:00

Pardon My French by John Weeren

Stephanie Whetstone2020-03-19T14:06:12-04:00

Pardon My French by John Weeren The Norman conquest of England in 1066 ensured that French would profoundly influence the evolution of the English language. Nearly 30 percent of our vocabulary has been estimated to derive from French, including a host of true cognates -- words with the same spelling and meaning in both languages -- ranging from "question" and "danger" to "festival" and "date." In their delightful book, Say Chic: A Collection of French Words We Can't Live Without, Françoise Blanchard and Jeremy Leven assemble more than 70 words and phrases that have crossed the English Channel and Atlantic Ocean, [...]

Pardon My French by John WeerenStephanie Whetstone2020-03-19T14:06:12-04:00

hyperpyrexia (hī-pər-pī-RĔK-sē-ə)

Stephanie Whetstone2017-02-20T12:00:56-05:00

Definition (Noun) A high or excessive degree of fever. In Context "Acute hyperpyrexia is associated with hard physical work in a hot, moist ambient environment or occurs in elderly individuals with preexisting diseases such as alcoholism, heart disease, or obesity who are exposed to hot temperatures." Douglas W. Wilmore, The Metabolic Management of the Critically Ill, 1977.

hyperpyrexia (hī-pər-pī-RĔK-sē-ə)Stephanie Whetstone2017-02-20T12:00:56-05:00

semiotics (sĕm-ē-ŎT-ĭks)

Stephanie Whetstone2017-02-13T12:00:51-05:00

Definition (Noun) The science of communication studied through the interpretation of signs and symbols as they operate in various fields, especially language. In Context "He was a paunchy, balding, chain-smoking teacher of semiotics, the study of signs, codes and meanings in language, at various Italian universities." "The Finger of Fame," The Economist, February 27, 2016.

semiotics (sĕm-ē-ŎT-ĭks)Stephanie Whetstone2017-02-13T12:00:51-05:00

provender (PRŎV-ən-dər)

Stephanie Whetstone2017-02-06T12:00:03-05:00

Definition (Noun) Food, provisions; (in early use especially) dry food, as hay, oats, etc., for horses or cattle; fodder, forage. In Context "The troops supplemented their provender by hunting, fishing, and gardening." James S. Robbins, The Real Custer: From Boy General to Tragic Hero, 2014.

provender (PRŎV-ən-dər)Stephanie Whetstone2017-02-06T12:00:03-05:00

We Need New Names (2013) by NoViolet Bulawayo

Stephanie Whetstone2017-02-01T09:00:26-05:00

Critical Assessment "Using her gift for pictorial language, Ms. Bulawayo gives us snapshots of Zimbabwe that have the indelible color and intensity of a folk art painting: ‘men huddled like sheep and playing draughts under the lone jacaranda,’ the blooming purple flowers almost make them ‘look beautiful in the shade without their shirts on,’ sitting there, ‘crouched forward like tigers’; the women doing their best to look pretty, wearing ‘a bangle made from rusty, twisted wire,’ a ‘flower tucked behind an ear,’ ‘earrings made from colorful seeds,’ ‘bright patches of cloth sewn onto a skirt.’ "There is desperation here, however. As [...]

We Need New Names (2013) by NoViolet BulawayoStephanie Whetstone2017-02-01T09:00:26-05:00

Writing Resolutions

Stephanie Whetstone2020-01-10T11:37:05-05:00

Writing Resolutions So, the holiday decorations have been put away, diets have been started, and work has regained its rhythm, but what about your resolution to write every day? (And no, email doesn't count.) How’s that going? If it's not going exactly as planned, don’t despair. Keep trying anyway. You stand in a long line of famous writers who have resolved to write more and better in the new year, every year. It’s the resolution that counts, the desire to continue and to improve. The guilt of imperfectly adhering to your plan may bother you, but don’t let it sidetrack you. [...]

Writing ResolutionsStephanie Whetstone2020-01-10T11:37:05-05:00

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