#john mcphee

[headlightsforever]

A piece of writing needs to start somewhere, go somewhere, and sit down when it gets there.

John McPhee

[novlr]

“At base you have only one criterion: If something interests you, it goes in—if not, it stays out.” — John McPhee

[lowcountry-gothic]

If geologic time could somehow be seen in the perspective of human time, on the other hand, sea level would be rising and falling hundreds of feet, ice would come pouring over continents and as quickly go away. Yucatans and Floridas would be under the sun one moment and underwater the next, oceans would swing open like doors, mountains would grow like clouds and come down like melting sherbet, continents would crawl like amoebae, rivers would arrive and disappear like rainstreaks down an umbrella, lakes would go away like puddles after rain, and volcanoes would light the earth as if it were a garden full of fireflies.

— John McPhee, In Suspect Terrain

[certifiedbi]

Having a small moment about Scottish patriotism in motorsport

[the-hearth-and-the-wild]

All a conservationist group can do is to defer something. There’s no such thing as a permanent victory. After we win a battle, the wilderness is still there, and still vulnerable. When a conservation group loses a battle, the wilderness is dead.

David Brower, quoted by John McPhee, Encounters with the Archdruid

[victusinveritas]

In 1981 The New Yorker rejected the publication of a short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "The Trace of Your Blood in the Snow,” which would later be published along with other short stories in the volume "Twelve Pilgrim's Tales.” One year later, Garcia Marquez received the Nobel Prize.

So, don’t give up, and just look what is being published today. Stay the course. Outlast the dim.

Plus advice from the great John McPhee (deprived of a Nobel thus far).

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Today's wisdom on writer's block comes from titan John Mcphee: 'You are nowhere, & that's where you've been getting. What do you do? You write, "Dear Mother"....'

McPhee's trick forces you out of the lying/hiding/avoiding mindset & sets you talking straight to your reader our of deep feeling. Try it!

[Mary Karr]

[riverofthewindfalllight]

Mountains always come down, of course, as they are coming up. In the contest between erosion and orogeny, erosion never loses.

[eyeonthenightsky]

McPhee's geologic writings are pure poetry of the earth. This lovely comic is a great tribute to him.

meander, a short comic about a river, and bivalves, and the fossil record. inspired of course by john mcphee’s basin and range!

[johnesimpson]

The Taking In; the Giving Out

Linda Pastan, John McPhee, et al.: 'The Taking In; the Giving Out'

[Image: “He Knew What He Had to Do,” by Alan Levine. Found it on Flickr, and am sharing it here (with minimal alteration) under its Creative Commons license — thank you!] From whiskey river’s commonplace book: For the traveler today Among the Zen parables, one koan is called “Just Drinking Tea”. Tea represents Zen spirit: he who tastes it tastes Zen. Hot plum tea is offered to a visitor arriving from afar. Honey and sugar are dissolved in hot water and a pickled plum with the seed removed is proffered between the points of chopsticks. The visitor first steeps the plum briefly in the honey water. He then removes and eats it before drinking the tea. The sourness of the plum and the sweetness of the tea relieve the fatigue of the journey.…

[Read the rest]

[rag-and-bone]

really liked John McPhee's book on the writing process. he is the most versatile and enjoyable non-fiction writer we've got. with great tips. like, if you've got writers block, put it away and start to write a letter, "Dear Mom," and all that, give her the update and complain about your struggle to put words together. once you've started explaining things, it'll probably take you somewhere within your subject, then you can erase all the whining parts and go from there. i'm checking the dictionary every day now, it's way better than a thesaurus.

to me, this was the most interesting essay of the book

[convivialdave]

thinking simply about reality gives you the freedom to act in pursuit of your life's greatest meaning.

[certifiedbi]

John McPhee getting abruptly fired before the last race of the season really sums up his WSSP career so far.

Also what is the actual fucking point of firing a rider before the last race? Not the last round, the last race. He's already showed up, practiced, qualified, competed in race one, and then you fire him?!

[historyofguns]

The article "The EDC Shot You’re NOT Prepared to Take" by Mike Boyle, published on The Armory Life, discusses the importance of preparing for personal defense scenarios involving firearms, focusing on conditions like close proximity, poor lighting, and quick action. Boyle emphasizes the need for realistic training and the ability to respond to threats at conversational distances. By analyzing gunfight statistics and experiences of law enforcement agencies like the FBI, DEA, and NYPD, Boyle highlights the importance of being prepared for anomalies in typically predictable scenarios. He advocates for balance in training, suggesting that while training for close-range encounters is vital, it is also crucial to practice shooting at longer ranges to handle unexpected situations. Boyle recommends utilizing different shooting positions, such as braced kneeling or prone, and emphasizes the need for mental rehearsal of shooting fundamentals. The article encourages readers to integrate long-range practice into their training routines and to consider sensible use of red dot optics for improved accuracy at a distance.

[jeffalessandrelli]

Catullus, of course, has been an inspiration for his way of communicating, using slang language, and insulting politicians. In fact, for insulting anyone in verse, even your best friend, Catullus is the best person to consult if you want to learn how to level insults well, not like how it’s done by certain past presidents of this country.

[theblackestofsuns]

Assembling California (1993)

John McPhee

Farrar, Straus & Giroux