Kyle Gebhart

The peace sign, it is part of our corporate consciousness. Apparently it has only been around for 50 years.

Did you know that it = ND? - that is: nuclear disarmament. Check out the history of it here.

I’m going to keep my posts short. This is in response to one of my pet peeve: posts that are longer than one (or two max) screen lengths. Who reads posts longer than that? I guess there ARE people - and if you ARE that people, I bless you. But man, if it ain’t short and sweet I’m not gonna read it most of the time. And if I’m not gonna read it, I’m not gonna inflict it upon my readers.

Jean Louise Finch, will you be my friend?

I finished reading To Kill a Mockingbirdtoday. Scout Finch is one of the most endearing, likable and entertaining persons I’ve encountered in a novel. Her dry, brilliant and compassionate perspective on the tragi-comic events in Maycomb County Alabama have won my heart.

How I got through 32 years of life without reading this book is a mystery to me. I attribute it to my tendency to assume that common or popular is equivalent to shallow and meaningless. Think of Melrose Place, or Survivor, or The OC. I’ve learned from this novel that sometimes the popular is equivalent to the great. A recent poll asked librarians the question, “Which book should every adult read before they die?” Their answer was: To Kill a Mockingbird, the Bible came in second - but admittedly is much, much longer book.

If you’ve never read this book - I plead with you, find the time on your summer vacation this year.

And, if anyone meets Scout out there, could you please arrange an introduction for me?

My problem with blogging: inevitably what I post is a first draft.

I hate first drafts. Almost no writer can write well in a first draft. By nature, blogging is instantaneous. Most blogs are about ‘venting’ whatever thought comes to mind.

A brief story: I used to regularly write letters to friends. From my senior year of high school, through much of college, I corresponded with 4-6 of my friends through letter writing. Often, I would write 2-3 drafts of these letters. I would try to improve the clarity of my thought, my style, and communicate exactly.

This zeal for clarity of thought has caused me to rarely blog - often I don’t want to re-write or revise my blog posts.

I’ve decided today to turn the tide. 80% is better than nothing. On the plus side, any writing at all will cause clarity to grow. It will also be nice to at least attempt first drafts that are as clear a possible. I firmly believe that all writers can improve greatly with revision and attention to detail in their craft - but I can pay attention in my first drafts too - making them easier to revise and improve; and I can apply some of the tools I’ve already learned.

Look for more consistent writing here in the next weeks and months.