Authenticity Above All Else'Be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.'
--Judy Garland
Working With Words
A weblog devoted to spurring a conversation among those who use words to varying degrees in their daily work. Hosted by John Ettorre, a Cleveland-based writer and editor. Please email me at: john.ettorre@gmail.com. "There comes a time when you realize that everything is a dream, and only those things preserved in writing have any possibility of being real." --James Salter
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
About Me
- Name: John Ettorre
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
I'm a Cleveland, Ohio-based writer, editor and writing coach, with more than 25 years of experience, including stints in Chicago and Washington, D.C. My work has appeared in more than 100 print and online publications, from the New York Times and the Christian Science Monitor to local and regional publications. My work has been recognized by awards (including an Emmy) from four journalism groups.
Previous Posts
- A Few Of Our Favorite (and Least Favorite) ThingsT...
- Words Matter'The person who first hurled a word fo...
- Stopping & Paying AttentionIs What Finally Awakens...
- Things We Couldn't Help Noticing LatelyOur friend ...
- A Pretty Good Recipe for Happiness,Especially in t...
- Sounds Right To Us On Both CountsThe Washington Po...
- We May Have Reached a New High Water MarkIn Commen...
- Try, Try Again 'Character consists of what you do ...
- Being ToughestOn Yourself'The hope of the world li...
- Diligently Carving a Path to SuccessIt's natural t...
8 Comments:
Intersting choice, since she was forced into that startling skinniness by her handlers, and had her life run and run into the ground by others. Maybe it is a warning message to stick with your ideal of personal identity or perish.
You're absolutely right: this sentiment, coming from her, can be interpreted either as a cautionary tale to others to learn from her bad experience, or simply a bit of irony at her expense. I prefer to think it was the former. That she was advising others not to get caught in the same bind that she had experienced. In the end, we often learn the most from the most painful experiences.
Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself.
-St. Frances of Sales
Now there's a lovely, pithy sentence. And from a first-time commenter (I believe), no less. Thanks for adding to the chorus.
Second time, and how do you keep track of all that, do you keep a file or something? Just wondered.
Thanks so much for that response, Carmen. Much appreciated. And no, I'm not that anal as to keep a file of commenters. It's just in my memory, which, as you've proven, is hardly infallible (we tend to remember what's most important to us).
If that seems surprising, think of it this way: are you likely to forget many people who you had over to your house for coffee, even if it was some years ago, and the conversation was only relatively brief? You probably remember most of them, if not all, and even if you might have forgotten a name or two and what you might have chatted about, you retain something about most of those encounters. And that's kind of how I think of visitors to this blog, as cherished house guests. I just hope you won't notice how scratchy the towels are sometimes.
ah Judy - one of my true loves. I am a singer, but if I could've chosen I would have been given her voice - but not her life.
Yet another talent of yours we didn't know about, Diane. Next time our paths cross, shall I ask you to belt out a show tune, or do your tastes run more to classical or opera?
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