Style Matters

Image by Jade Pegler.

Byron Borger has been connecting readers with writers for decades. With uncanny insight, an unrivaled knowledge of book titles and the ideas and history behind them, as well as the ability to convince you that every title he recommends is one that you absolutely must have, he's a person you really ought to know (if you don't already).

This morning, I got to publish a "sweet little masterpiece in its own way," as L.L. Barkat put it, of Byron's thoughts, and you can find it at The High Calling. "Style Matters" is about the power of words to inform and transform. It helps that I'm a passionate person, but the article called me to be a better writer who weds his words with style; his craft with art.

Whether you're a casual reader, prolific blogger, aspiring author or 9-to-5 copywriter, you may appreciate "Style Matters" since your life revolves around words.

I will never forget one of the first times I was taken by a book as an older teenager, utterly absorbed, lost in another world. I was a new Jesus Freak in the early 70s and a wanna-be revolutionary. I realized there were changes afoot and I wanted to be a part of them...

Read the article here.

TheHighCalling.org is a site about work, life and God.

Read more...

Ethics in Advertising

"If harmful or utterly useless goods are touted to the public, if false assertions are made about goods for sale, if less than admirable human tendencies are exploited, those responsible for such advertising harm society and forfeit their good name and credibility."

- From "Communio et Progressio," a 1960s pastoral letter written by the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications.

"But whatever product, service or candidate you advertise and no matter how you do it, I would hope you would keep in mind our ultimate purpose in life and make of all of your advertising messages that are true, worthy of the dignity of the human person and helpful to the common good." 

- From Archbishop John Foley at the 50th Anniversary of the World Federation of Advertisers.

Read more...

Vegetarians, don't look. This is a carnivore's delight.

Advertising works when it makes me want to eat the page. I hope they have these in heaven. (Click on the image to enlarge it and then click again for more zoomed pleasure, or to get the recipe.)

From Rachel Ray's "30 Minute Meals"

Read more...

Giving riddles of love

I'm a sucker for honest, smart, neighbor-honoring copy in an advertisement; it goes a long way in earning my respect. Clever also catches my attention but only until the laugh or intrigue ends. Then I'm back to being frustrated. When is it ever appropriate to make consumers feel insecure? When is it helpful to embellish an item with more value than it's really worth?

As far as I'm concerned, using/managing/stewarding/assigning/writing/broadcasting/editing/creating words is a high calling. On Friday at TheHighCalling.org, I wrote about using words as a way of giving riddles of love. Here's the intro and link to read more:

I enjoy solving, and telling, riddles while hiking with others. Like this one: “There are fifty-two bicycles and a dead man in a room. What happened?” Riddles take work to solve - the first time, at least. The second time is a snap and by the third, you know the answer before the riddler finishes the question.

What fascinates me is that no matter how many times you hear the same riddle, your brain still has to solve it. Eventually it may feel like you simply know the answer but that’s only because your solution speed has increased.

Words work like this.

Read the rest of the article here.

TheHighCalling.org is a conversation site about work, life and God.

Read more...