Wordplay

Make Churchill your muse Winston Churchill rallied the British, defied the Nazis, and inspired the United States to fight. Some say he saved the Western world with his words. "Never, never, never give up." — Winston Churchill He was captured by the Boers and escaped. He wrote about his military adventures in newspaper articles and books. By 1899, he was one of the highest … [Read more...] about Write it like Winston

New York City launches haiku street safety signs Call it Curbside Haiku. The New York City Department of Transportation has posted 144 new street safety signs with haiku and artwork by artist John Morse. There are 12 designs in all. Sample: “Cyclist writes screenplay Plot features bike lane drama How pedestrian” Why haiku? Why use the traditional Japanese poetry … [Read more...] about Poetry in motion

Extend ideas with etymology One of the most creative twists of phrase I’ve ever seen came straight from some good dictionary research. The story: “The Big No,” Steven Wright’s Esquire piece about the suicide of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. Here’s the kicker: “In Buddhist thought, to be alive is to be immersed in flame — the burning of the senses, the burning of the mind, the … [Read more...] about ‘His severed head would suffice’