Sunday, August 19, 2007

Life stories

Paul Collins at Weekend Stubble on the problem of biography:
The longer I write biography, the more hesitant I become to use standard bio segues like "He was a broken man now." Broken to who?... To you? ... To him? Is he broken every minute of the day? The formulation is a specious one.

1 comment:

  1. Just whatever you do, don't use that phrase "fine-tooth comb". (unaffectionally known as a "fine tooth-comb") On my recent (holiday) reading binge, it came up in every darn book.

    Just break it with the man, while you are about it.

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