Write2Day–A Love Affair with Words

Image via Wikipedia

One of the things I enjoy most about my Kindle is the dictionary feature. If your bring the cursor to a word in the text, the definition pops up at the bottom of the screen. Hit “return” and it takes you to an expanded expose of the various meaning of the word. .. wonderful feature for word-addicts like those of us who write.

This morning as I was reading a bit of the Bible, there was a footnote on the word SPIRIT. Because I’m interested in biblical exegesis and the Hebrew root of things, I went to the footnote to see which Hebrew word for soul (there are five, if I remember correctly) John (or whoever wrote that gospel) used. When the cursor landed on “SPIRIT” and the definition appeared, it drew me in, so I had to explore. I knew there would be a number of definitions and I was right. Here are just a few of them:

• the non-physical part of a person that is the seat of emotions and character; the soul;
• a part regarded as the person’s true self and capable of surviving physical death or separation;
• such a part manifested as an apparition after their death–a ghost;
• a supernatural being;
• short for the Holy Spirit;
• qualities regarded as forming the definitive or typical elements in the character of a person, nation, or group or in the thought and attitudes of a particular period;
• a person identified with their most prominent mental or moral characteristics or with their role in a group or movement;
• a specific emotion or mood;
• a person’s mood;
• the quality of courage, energy, and determination or assertiveness;
• the attitude or intentions with which someone undertakes or regards something;
• the real meaning or the intention behind something as opposed to its strict verbal interpretation;
• strong distilled liquor!

Wow; all of that in one word!

For today’s prompt, let’s write a poem, essay or short fiction that revolves around the word SPIRIT.  Take it wherever you like. If you choose to participate:

• Write your submission and post it on your blog;
• Access Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post and add your name and copy the direct URL of your post into the link;
• Visit and comment on the work of other participants…there are not too many so it shouldn’t be a huge task;
• Enjoy the process of writing and reading.

I’m still having some challenges with my back, but we’re working on that, so excuse me for not being too “present” in the world of blogging these days. I will be posting at dVersePoets’ Meeting the Bar tomorrow and hope to see you there. It is a great place to share poetry and friendship. I may need to vary the days that I do my weekly “Write2Day” entry so expect a bit of the unexpected. Thanks for being a part of the creative SPIRIT that happens here in the world of blogs.

Copyright 2012 Victoria Ceretto Slotto. All rights reserved.

Image: GNU Free Documentation License

 

Thoughts on e-Books

Disclaimer: I love my Kindle! I relish being able to download books when I want them, archiving the ones I’ve read and being able to recall them to my device if I want to revisit something and being able to underline and make notes as I read. I like the fact that it is lightweight and that I can read “East of Eden” or “War and Peace” while I’m lounging in bed. Being able to adjust the font size is great for those of us who are a little older. But…

…there are a few downsides. Tables and illustrations are difficult to read and navigate; it isn’t easy to flip through pages, for example, to re-familiarize yourself with a character or scene you may have forgotten. For those of us who are authors, we can probably expect less in royalties. And my 89-year-old mom would never figure out how to read it. Then there is the sensory joy of holding a book in hand: the smell, the texture of the pages, the substance of it all. But there is one other thing that outweighs all of these: EMP.

Last night I finished reading “One Second After,” by William R. Forstchen–a fictional account of what our country could expect should a rogue nation attack us with a nuclear detonation miles above earth that would wipe out the electric grid and electronic devices over wide areas. This event could plunge us back a couple of centuries. I won’t make this a post about EMP, but one of the tools of survival was the ability of the survivors to got to a college library and obtain information about things like reconstructing telephones and telegraphs, steam engines etc. Sounds out there, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it may not be.

In conclusion, what are your feelings about e-Books? If you received an offer to publish your manuscript electronically, would you? (I would) Do you think that the day will come when this form of publishing will replace hardcopy. (I hope not)

By the way, print out hardcopies of all your work.