To answer a few questions about the prospective weekly digest edition of clippings—

1. The daily newsletter will continue as is, no matter what.

2. I imagine a weekly edition would contain all of content from the daily newsletters, slightly rearranged for readability. Doing a “best of” takes time and induces aesthetic guilt.

3. I am not planning to create any other editions, such as a “WORD(S) Only,” or formats (no plans to move to a web/blog/etc. format)…sorry.

Please continue to share your thoughts on the usefulness of a digest edition!

WORK

“Do writers have a right to strike? That would be like the police or the firemen walking out.”

“Or the college professors.”

“Or the college professors,” I agreed. I shook my head. “No, I don’t think my conscience would let me support a strike like that. When a man becomes a writer, I think he takes a sacred obligation to produce beauty and enlightenment and comfort at top speed.”

“I just can’t help thinking what a real shake up it would give people if, all of a sudden, there were no new books, new plays, new histories, new poems…”

“And how proud would you be when people started dying like flies?” I demanded.

“They’d die more like mad dogs, I think–snarling & snapping at each other & biting their own tails.”

I turned to Castle the elder. “Sir, how does a man die when he’s deprived of the consolation of literature?”

“In one of two ways,” he said, “petrescence of the heart or atrophy of the nervous system.”

“Neither one very pleasant, I expect,” I suggested.

“No,” said Castle the elder. “For the love of God, both of you, please keep writing!”

—Kurt Vonnegut
—from Cat’s Cradle

WORD(S)

petrescence. noun. Petrified matter; the process of becoming petrified; changing into stone.

“petrifaction, n. lapidification, petrescence, lapidescence; fossil, stone.” (Putnam’s Word Book)

“Such small-scale lithic simulacra of mountains were perceived as diminutive incarnations or, better yet, the miniaturized petrescence of spirits associated with Andean topography…” (Carolyn Dean)

“Nature had for ages been engaged in the work of petrescence in this land of wonders, which was peopled by a race who considered not the rare archeological wonders here disclosed and who were as unappreciative as a drove of hogs.” (Perry Burgess)

WEB

1. The Touchable Memories project uses 3-D printing to create artifacts for the visually impaired from photographs and drawings. Sweet, in multiple colloquial senses. And literal senses. You know what I mean.

2. “Technology runs counter to our personhood; technology is complicated and shallow, but people are simple and deep. Our true needs are not complex.” → The Space Between You and Me

3. ► A Letterpress Printer in the Age of Twitter. Love the stuff; love the spirit.

4. David Foster Wallace’s fiction course syllabus → “We can talk about whatever you wish to — provided that we do it cogently and well”

5. Today in 1605, Guy Fawkes is arrested before he is able to blow up the House of Lords as part of a large conspiracy to assassinate King James I. Over the next few days he was tortured until he confessed…but he arguably had the last laugh, jumping from the scaffold and breaking his neck, avoiding the further torture of being hung, drawn and quartered. Thus Guy Fawkes Day originated as a celebration of the King’s escape from assassination. There are some theories, however, that Fawkes was really just the fall guy in a larger, elaborate conspiracy. Which reminds me: there are an amazing number of full episodes of the 1980s Lee Majors television series The Fall Guy available on YouTube.

REPRISES/RESPONSES/REJOINDERS/RIPOSTES

• Reader B. appreciates and inquires: ‘That’s one fine [Wilfred] Owen [poem]. Are you thinking of the centenary? ¶ PS: “unthewed” reminds me of Conan stories, where barbarians are often “mightily thewed”.’

• Many members of the Katexic Clamor responded “yes” to a weekly digest edition. A few even said “no.” I appreciate the feedback as I consider this possibility and what it might look like without compromising my principles (there are a few) or time (which I have arguably less of).

I welcome comments, suggestions, thoughts, feedback and all manner of what-have-you. Just press ‘Reply’ or email to: clippings@katexic.com.

And please feel free to share anything here as far and wide as you want! If you want to give a shout-out, please link to: http://katexic.com/clippings/.