I was recently browsing through the children's section of my local library and happened on The Phantom Tollbooth, one of those books that it seems everybody else read in school, but I never did. (BTW I have an 8-year old so I have an excuse to browse the children's section, although half of what I check out is for me, not her.) The Phantom Tollbooth is chock full of good lines, but I'm taking these as my writer's motto:
quote:"I never knew words could be so confusing," said Milo. . . . "Only when you use a lot to say a little," replied Tock.
I already returned the book so I'm paraphrasing, but I'm going to post these lines near my computer so I can see them as I write. I fall in love with words sometimes, so I have to remind myself that clarity is the key, and usually less is more, if you'll forgive the cliches.
Posted by Marzo (Member # 5495) on :
Thanks for sharing this - it's a good reminder to me, too. Posted by apeiron (Member # 2565) on :
Aw, I love that book! I read it for the first time when I was probably too old to feel the way I did about it, but I just thought it was the most amazing thing ever.
I'm the type of person that often finds herself hurrying with her head down, so there you go.
Posted by ukebard (Member # 5501) on :
I think the Phantom Tollbooth is the new Alice in Wonderland. Both use language to make fun of society and...language!
My students call me the Mathemagician sometimes. :P
