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Both Diction and Syntax

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The printed word is under scrutiny these days.  And, as organizations join forces to preserve the art,  the magazine is making quite the contribution to the fight.  Lately, I’ve found myself savoring the pages, which I would have otherwise passed,  to read and not just look.  Some newly appointed editors are making quite the impression.  So, I’d thought we’d gush about my recent favorites.

Newell Turner, the editor in chief of House Beautiful inserts his editorial word mid-way through each publication.  His stories are insightful and his reflections unite the issue for the reader in a personal way.  A must-read page, every month.

Bon Appetit’s editor in chief, Adam Rapoport, has me every month, from the very start.  Surely, there is much to delight in through this publication’s pages (isn’t it the best?), but, Rapoport’s words are memorable, endearing, and often insightful. I’m always inspired to host after reading, finding the art more complex and raw, all at the same time. 

Lastly, let’s herald the new editor in chief for Town & Country, Jay Fielden.  Here’s a taste from the wordsmith:

      It was during the aftermath of Irene—a week of flashlights and candles in my neck of Connecticut—that the surprising fragility of modern life once again appeared…For two days the commuter trains were shut down, and roads were closed everywhere. 

     I was one of the first to stuff in with all those fleeing back to the city when a scattering of trains started running again.  What I encountered was a revealing human scene, a microcosm of American life, bottom to top.  Those decrepit circa-1960’s railcars that leak when it sprinkles and are always down an air conditioner or three were the only viable way back to work, no matter how much money you had.

     Town & Country, you may have read here before, isn’t about just lifestyle but life.  It’s about the big city and those overlooked places, too, where a fallen tree or two can take you back 150 years and where you never know whom you might bump into in the bar car.  I hope you’ll come along for the commute.

All this to say: reading today’s magazine is a confident way to improve one’s own writing, which is exciting! 
[P.S. Sara Bareilles is tomorrow.  Is that not exciting?  Oh, I’m thrilled!  I roped three sisters, (yes, I said three, and that’s not even a majority in my family) into going.  What. A. Treat.]