From: Norma Jean <nsawicki>
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 11:49:55 -0400

For those interested in how language effects a society, Brendan Gill delivered a sensational speech about the subject in 1989. Called" The Great Feast of Language in the Age of Hype," I am sure it can be found on the internet. Yes, language does distance us from people or events...think, for instance, of "friendly fire." Or, when I started out in book publishing, an editor put a manuscript" under contract." Now, one says... I bought it...which implies ownership on the part of the editor or publisher. It used to be someone was "the editor" of a book...now, it is "my book," when ,of course, the only person entitled to say that is the writer. The same with books referred to in publishing houses as "products." What does that mean? Books? Soap? Tissue? It distances publishing folk from the individual book as well as the writer....product is not concrete/specific. Mr. Gill's article is appropriate to the discussion at hand, and I hope folk will take the time to find it. Many who read it may forever think of language differently. Norma Jean
Received on Fri 13 Oct 2006 10:49:55 AM CDT