The Fourth Turning.

My fellow writer and friend Jake introduced me to the book, The Fourth Turning:  An American Prophecy - What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America's Next Rendezvous with Destiny by William Strauss and Neil Howe.

Though it was written in 1997, it seems especially prescient in 2011, discussing economic, cultural, ecological, military, and political distress.

The idea that your generation isn’t like the generation that shaped you, but  rather has much in common with the generation that shaped the generation that shaped you, seems dead right to me.

So does the labeling of archetypes as nomad, artist, hero and prophet that rise in each generation.

http://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Turning-American-Prophecy-Rendezvous/dp/0767900464/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311879984&sr=1-1

 

Three Words to Launch Your Week.

Thrum
Toothy
Feckless

Use them with flair!

Grat Tagline. But Not for Toothpaste.

Crest's "Life opens up when you do" is a bit Hallmark-ish, even Oprah-ish, but it works on the level of feel good-ity. 

Just not for toothpaste.

Damn Fine Writing.

I have long subscribed to "men's magazines" because the writing is infinitely more intelligent that the pap directed at women.   

An article in the August issue of Men's Journal (which I am proud to have contributed a story on Jordan to) demonstrates why.

Even though I wasn't remotely interested in Steelers linebacker James Harrison, writer Paul Solotaroff's opening was a grabber--and not just because I live in the same town:

"Up here, in an end-of-time exurb called Troon, carved high into the bluffs above Scottsdale, Arizona, it's all Charles Darwin and sun-split rocks, life forms baked to the core.  Diamondbacks and scorpions slip through the gates of the copper-colored homes in these hills, while wild boar joust with gaunt coyotes over trash cans pushed to the curb. Even in May, the heat is a monster, pressing its breath on you in the haze."  

Hooked? Read the rest:  http://www.mensjournal.com/jamesharrison   

"When in Doubt, Leave it Out."

My friend Phillippa singsongs that phrase whenever I am waffling about..well, anything.

Coco Chanel famously loved to pile on accessories, but she still recommended that stylish women remove one item before leaving the house.

They are both right.

Whether it's holding one's tongue, dressing for success or telling a compelling story, a (little) bit less is often a whole lot more.

Of Self-Possession.

Watched the new-on-DVD Barney's Version last night. Call it a study in karma, the film is a beautifully caustic and sobering look at the consequences of our choices.

What struck me most was the economy of words that actress Rosamund Pike's character, Miriam, uses to get her point across. 

Effective and moving. 

So often, less is more in dialogue.