Logophiliacal

Years ago, a (then)friend and I spent a Saturday night doing dictionary tests: dorky but true. Recently, I've been studying--not consistently but some--for the GRE verbal. In an attempt to make this fun, I asked a friend who's also studying to indulge me in some "practice" emails---to message three words that described each other.

For me, he chose:

erudite
caustic
pulchritudinous (this one with a winky emoticon)

I'll agree to caustic (though I think irascible might have been more accurate), but I'd argue against erudite. Ashamed as I am to admit it, I'm not a scholarly writer. I'm a simple writer. I can remember and recreate scenes, sometimes--when I'm lucky--I can make a metaphor sing, but frankly, I have the recall of a gnat. So, studying for the GRE knots me up. From those Saturday-night dictionary tests, the one word I remember is nictitating, and I only remember this because when I opened to the page, pointed blindly, and said the chosen word, my partner in dorkdom simply started blinking.

I'm loquacious. Or garrulous. Verbose perhaps? Yeah. All of this is to preface an upcoming blog-ploy I'm using to help myself. From here on out, expect GRE paragraphs within posts. In these paragraphs, I will attempt to artfully and accurately use GRE words. As of now, this one's full enough for my liking (and I'm sure yours too).

If you'd like to help, I'll pay you in kindness. Zip me words out here---words you think might stump me on this test. This test that a PhD committee member (from a potential school) told me the other day doesn't even factor in when they're looking for poets. They look at the poems. I guess I know this, but I still worry. You know, in the event that you hadn't picked up on that already.

Okay, I'm done. Here's something better:

"Because it turns out the world really is a hospital,
Because we had to have had before us a giant pair of scissors
Before four bold wings can have newly ascended,
Before new doors can revolve, before new elevators
Rise and fall empty and full, new numbers light,
New floors with new doors both open and closed
Because there are nurses to sail in and out of need,
Because need walks the doctors somewhere or another,
Because of elaborately adaptable need the bed . . .
The bed could be wheeled right into traffic and snow [...]"

A taste. Read all of Bill Olsen's "Bedside" for yourself.

He was NMU's Visiting Writer last week. A good Q&A and a good reading.

Next week: Tim O'Brien...

For now, back to work (where have all the weekends gone?).

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