The Worst Review Ever

Though an aspiring and then published freelance writer, I never warmed much to the writers' manuscript-rejection vents at the (now silent) Rejection Collection ... the reactions there seemed too thin and thin-skinned, even whiny, to be helpful. But as an aspiring novelist and informal book reviewer, I'm interested in YA novelist Alexa Young's new blog, The Worst Review Ever.

Writers who feel especially rankled by a negative review of their book -- usually one posted at Amazon and sometimes in contradiction of a positive Publishers Weekly review -- submit the review to Young and then deconstruct their reactions in a light, honest, self-deprecating way. The writerly insight and silver-lining attitude appeal to me, as does the interactivity -- blog readers can "rate the pain" by clicking on a scale from "That wasn't so bad" to "Definitely the WORST. REVIEW. EVER." (Though oh, the irony: a meta-review?) Ratings are collated quarterly and a winner is named.

I've added it to my blogroll and will be reading and voting, internalizing ways to be a better reviewer, preparing myself for my own turn down the road :) Join me?

A Boss by Any Other Name

Intrigued by workplaces, I tend to mine discussions and articles for nuggets that resonate, especially regarding generations or sites outside my own experience.

This, for example, from MSN/CareerBuilder's recent 10 Worst Work Habits:

Using your supervisor's first name […is] common in many industries.

Merely "common"?

The only time I've addressed a boss by anything other than a first name was as a teenage babysitter. (Now, bosses' bosses -- that's a different story and helps me to get into the mindset. Even when promoted to report to a former boss's boss, changing the reference was like growing into adulthood and trying to call my parents' friends by their first names.)

So of course, now I'm interested in finding a workplace where first names aren't allowed, or creating a character in a normal workplace who doesn't allow it...

ABC3D

Marion Bataille’s ABC3D is a book of the alphabet -- done pop-up style in red, white, and black ... and one mirror.

The design is clever, though he uses only about 12 concepts and repeats several of them across different letters. But what is extraordinary is how he surprises the reader with similarities among letters (E/F, sure; but wait until you get to O/P/Q/R!) -- and within letters (there's a mini-me in G!). He makes me want to learn about typography and alphabet history.

Watch a video of the book (audio alert) below. Note: It shows the entire book (in a little over a minute) but, in my opinion, doesn't "spoil" it. I watched the video and immediately put the book on hold at my library. And I still may get my own copy!

What Goes Around...

I bought peonies ($8) and a quart of strawberries ($5.50) this morning at the farmer’s market.

“Thirteen-fifty,” the purveyor said.

I handed her fifteen dollars and she gave me a dollar and fifty cents.

I hesitated. “On second thought, I’ll take another quart of strawberries.” I gave her a twenty-dollar bill and, smiling at the circularity, said, “And here’s your fifty cents back.”

She made change for my twenty and smiled right back. “And here’s your fifteen dollars!”

Welcome Summer

Superbug Slapdown

Headline in a newsletter I received yesterday:

[The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists] Backs Legislation To Curb Antimicrobial Resistance

Take that, bacteria! viruses! fungi!

Finally -- some fines or jail-time for microorganisms that insist on surviving via evolutionary mutation!

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(It is a serious problem; the House bill seeks funding for a public-health plan to better monitor, treat, and prevent infections by drug-resistant bugs.)