The marriage of C.K. Ogden’s work with that of I.A. Richards yielded Basic English, an extreme narrowing of the English language whose principal aim was to eliminate misunderstanding due to clumsiness in manipulating the semiotic triangle. Reducing the dictionary to 850 words (with various ancillary vocabularies tailored to specific disciplines) would greatly reduce the possibility […]
Basic English on Mt. Fuji Read More »
Though I was eager to get back to The World and shed my fatigues, even before I was cut loose I felt grateful for my Army years. But I clearly didn’t belong in the Army or aspire to make a career of it, and during my tenure with the battalion, I had made this plain
Stars and Stripes Forever Read More »
Ever since “liberal” became a bad word in America, there has been a growing tendency to pass judgment on other people by using this four-word zinger: “Everybody has a choice.” This is to say that no matter what situation one finds oneself in, there is always a right or wrong response, and if one chooses
Choice and the Complexity of Human Nature Read More »
“Before I was shot, I always thought that I was more half-there than all-there—I always suspected that I was watching TV instead of living life. People sometimes say that the way things happen in movies is unreal, but actually it’s the way things happen in life that’s unreal. The movies make emotions look so strong
Andy Warhol on the Nature of Reality Read More »
For the average person, engaging in some light conversion is enjoyable. For me, it’s akin to torture. That might seem like a gross exaggeration, but it’s the truth. I know that it will not get easier if I simply avoid it, so I force myself into conversation several times each day. Whether I’m asking a
Why Introverts Should Write Read More »
I graduated from Northwestern in 1964 with no idea what to do next. I most certainly didn’t want to continue in academia. I knew what I’d be doing if I didn’t get married or hook up with a graduate school – I’d get drafted. I decided, in my half-assed fashion, to allow that to happen,