History of English in 100 Words

The Story of English in 100 Words David Crystal.

Mead is an uncommon, old-fashioned drink. Back in its heyday (the 9th century) it was so popular, it permeated the English language. You would rest on a medu-benc (mead-bench) or medu-setl (mead-seat). You might live in medu-burh (a place known for its mead drinkers). You’d walk on the medu-stig (path to the mead hall) and maybe, you might even get medu-dream (mead-joy.) Not only does this tell us of the role Mead played back in the day, remnants still remain (or do you not use a whiskey glass for what comes out of the whisky decanter?)

Is Garage pronounced “garahge” “GArahge” or “GARridge”? Part of it is location, part of it is social class, but the accepted pronunciations have shifted over the years. A look at the BBC list of “standard” pronunciations makes that clear.

Crystal looks at 100 words, their history, and how they stand-in for larger trends in the development on English as a language.

I liked how he broke it up in 100 words, making it more manageable, using certain words to speak for larger trends and issues. I also really liked the parts on how history changed the language--the Norman conquest did a lot, as did globalization, and, of course, American English and our cultural exports have radically changed it as well.

Overall, a fun and short look at our crazy language.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Poetry Friday: October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard

What You Can Do in Eighteen Hours

Write a term paper
Cram for a final

Fly across the ocean
Drive cross-country

Scale a mountain
Run a marathon

Deliver a baby
Read War and Peace

Fall in love
Fall out of love

See the moon disappear
Watch the sun rise and set

Wait to be discovered
lashed to a fence

Shivering under a blanket
of stars


October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard Leaslea Newman


On October 6, 1998, Matthew Shephard was kidnapped from a bar, beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die. 18 hours later he was discovered. 5 days later he died. He was murdered for being gay.

The week he died was Gay Awareness Week and Newman was the keynote speaker for the activities that the University of Wyoming’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Association were hosting. Shepard was part of that group, had helped plan the week.

It took Newman years to process this horrific crime and what resulted is this collection of poetry.

We can argue it’s an important book because of the subject matter. And it is. But HOLY SHIT is it just an amazing work of poetry.

Newman writes poems from multiple perspectives, both people and inanimate objects, and general poems, interspersed with quotations from the sheriff, the news, the murderers, and judge, and others.

Only Matthew’s voice is missing.

She plays with form to an amazing effect, each one carefully chosen to match the narrator and the content. It's more a chronological collection of poems rather than a cohesive verse novel.

The pure artistry makes this one a total gut punch. You will cry.

I was hesitant to pick it up. I’m so glad I did. I hope you do, too.

Today's Poetry Friday roundup is over at The Opposite of Indifference.


Book Provided by... my local library

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Lean In

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg.

After all the hype and controversy, I thought it would be good if I actually read this one for myself. I'm glad I did. I think I'll have to reread it annually. It was that good.

Sandberg's basic points are that women have been conditioned to keep our heads down, be nice, and if we work really, really hard, we'll be rewarded. But, the data doesn't support that. If we want to succeed, we need to take chances, raise our hands, and toot our own horns. (Women often feel that have to be 100% qualified for a job before applying. Men only feel they have to be 60% qualified.)

But she also recognizes the world we live in-- tooting your own horn is valuable if you're a guy, but often penalizes you if you're a woman. She also knows this weird chicken/egg world we live in--workplaces are hard on women with families and many women leave instead of fighting to the top, but you need women at the top to get change, but you can't get to the top if your workplace won't help you support your family and round and round it goes.

Sandberg also recognizes her own privilege and the book is really for white-collar jobs.

BUT it is a stellar call to action for women AND men to step back and look at the gender imbalance, why its there, and what we can do about it. I do like the cold truth that no one's going to hand out a better job and situation, you have to go grab it, or at least ask for it.

Not all of it applied to me-- public librarianship, especially youth services, is female heavy. My boss is female, as is her's, as is her's up to the director (also female.) But I still found advice to take to heart, and a different way of looking at things.

I think it's a very strong (and quickly readable) call to action. It points out a lot of hard truths about what's going on, and hwy, but also offers solid suggestions on how to fix them, not just in your personal job, but in society as a whole.

It's an important book and you should probably read it.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Bitter Kingdom

The Bitter Kingdom Rae Carson

Elisa, Mara, Belen, and Storm are on Hector’s tail, ready to rescue him, and then to save Elisa’s crown.

But saving Hector isn’t enough--something isn’t right in Invierne and Elisa continues into the capital city to discover what. She does discover it, and with it some horrifying truth about Godstones and those who bear them.

And that’s only the first half!

Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuys. It’s soooooooooooo goooooooooooooooood. I love this series. I love this ending. I love Elisa and how much she’s grown and how she’s so strong and scared at the same time. I love how the action is the perfect mix of fighting and politics.

Also, um, Hector. There’s a romantic lead I can get behind. Someone who’s worthy of the girl, who knows when to support, when to lead, and when to get out of her damn way and doesn’t turn all of her issues into reasons to whine about himself. Instead he just knows and appreciates how awesome she is.

While this is the a wonderful end, it’s still a heartbreaking one, because I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters and this place yet.

PS-- if you haven’t yet, be sure to check out the e-only short stories: The Shadow Cats, which is about Elodia, (I reviewed it here), The Shattered Mountain, which is about Mara, and The King's Guard, which is about Hector.

ARC Provided by... the publisher at ALA

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