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  • The Elegant Variation is "Fowler’s (1926, 1965) term for the inept writer’s overstrained efforts at freshness or vividness of expression. Prose guilty of elegant variation calls attention to itself and doesn’t permit its ideas to seem naturally clear. It typically seeks fancy new words for familiar things, and it scrambles for synonyms in order to avoid at all costs repeating a word, even though repetition might be the natural, normal thing to do: The audience had a certain bovine placidity, instead of The audience was as placid as cows. Elegant variation is often the rock, and a stereotype, a cliché, or a tired metaphor the hard place between which inexperienced or foolish writers come to grief. The familiar middle ground in treating these homely topics is almost always the safest. In untrained or unrestrained hands, a thesaurus can be dangerous."
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November 04, 2004

L.A. EVENT: VERMIN ON THE MOUNT

Novverposter

If you're looking for a bright spot to help elevate the seemingly limitless gloom that abounds just now, Sunday night's Vermin on the Mount reading - hosted by TEV guest blogger Jim Ruland - sounds just like what the doctor ordered. Come by and say hi - we'll the dressed in black, unshaven, unwashed, Bushmills in hand, talking to ourselves in the corner. (By the way, Jim's latest effort is live over at Maisonneuve, so if you miss his dulcet tones, stop over there and check it out.)

Watch these writers wriggle in the maze:

Scott O'Connor (Among Wolves)
Xeni Jardin (Boing Boing, NPR, Wired)
Sean Carswell (Barney's Crew)
Rachel Resnick (Go West Young F*cked-Up Chick)
And your host Jim Ruland (disgruntled optimist)

Plus, we'll raffle off some books, t-shirts, posters (see attachment) and put small rodents in blenders (just kidding).

The Mountain is located at:
473 Gin Ling Way
across from the wishing well)
Call 213-625-7500 for details.

Fun starts at 7, readings at 8, effigy burning at midnight.

Posted by TEV at 12:30 AM |

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Cheer up, buckaroo. The first bucket of whiskey is on me.

Posted by: Jim Ruland | November 04, 2004 at 10:23 AM

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