Around the Word

Crisis of Creativity or Just History Repeating? With the Jonah Lehrer scandal in full swing, a summer during which the box office has been almost nothing but remakes and sequels, knock-off ebooks, and a unparalleled literary phenom that could be flirting with copyright infringement, it's hard not to ask whether there are any original ideas left to be had. Animator and filmmaker Drew Christie explores this conundrum in a recent NY Times op-doc, "Allergy to Originality." Through a very creative use of various Wikipedia entries (solidly in the Creative Commons), the animated video explores the age-old question of whether a idea can ever be truly unique, or if everything is just an appropriation or amalgamation of previous cultural memes and icons. Is it really Hollywood's fault that we seem to find comfort in reworkings and extensions of the familiar (reflected in booming box office sales)? What do you think? Are there any original thoughts left to be thought?

Before They Were Stars. Ever wondered what your favorite celebrity New York Times columnists were up to before they were granted tenure and guaranteed precious column inches to fritter away? Most of them were actually out chasing down leads and risking their jobs in pursuit of the story. In this great article from The Awl, we learn that before Nicholas Kristoff got a little "White Man's Burden," he gave us stories about the people in crisis instead of preaching to them. Tom Friedman was on the ground in Beirut, and Maureen Dowd, now best known for her politics-lite repartee, authored one of the first long-form pieces to shed light on those in the shadows of the AIDS epidemic. While not heralded far and wide, Dowd's profile of Gay Men's Health Crisis challenged some of the more traditional views held by Times editorial staff, and almost cost her the job. 

The Book Critic's Burden. It happens to all heavy readers at one time or another: you start a book and then realize you're just not feeling it. Most of us ditch it in favor of something more enticing, but what if your job depends on powering through? Getting paid to read and review books may seem like a charmed life, but a reviewer has to read them all—the good, mediocre, and the painfully bad. What's a critic to do? In a recent column, "I Hate This Book So Much: A Mediation," Times book critic Lev Grossman discusses the anxiety and inner conflict he faces when he has to review a book he dislikes. Should he dig in and write that negative review? What if he's missing a point that's obvious to everyone else? How does he face someone whose novel he's dissed? It's a a heavy cross to bear. How do you, dear editors and writers, deal with a despised project?

Of Books and Booze. Writers are notorious drinkers, perhaps none more so than Earnest Hemingway. Did you know that one of Hemingway's favorite drinks was the daiquiri? That may seem a little incongruous with his "man's man" image, but apparently he developed a taste for them during the twenty years he spent in Cuba. So to commemorate his 113th birthday, Havana watering hole El Floridita decided to mix up the world's largest daiquiri in honor of the author's love for the drink and his ties to the island. If you want to pay homage to your favorite author through drink, or make your next cocktail hour a little more literate, here are a few sites that offer authors' favorite cocktails, drinks inspired by books and authors, and drinks from classic literature. If going out is more your style, check out the The Dead Poet on Manhattan's Upper West Side, which is owned by a former English teacher and features an actual lending library.

GG President Dan Gerstein Featured in Johnnie Walker Blue Label Promotion

Great scotch and great writers go together like the Old Man and the Sea (sorry, we couldn’t resist the obligatory Hemingway reference). So when one of the world’s premier scotch brands, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, was looking for a ghostwriting expert to help Father’s Day gift buyers come up with memorable personalized inscriptions on the their bottles this month, it was only natural that they would turn to New York’s premier full-service writing firm, Gotham Ghostwriters.

Johnnie Walker has been offering free engraving on Blue Label bottles for several years through their website, and to help promote this perk, they have set up a dedicated engraving kiosk in Grand Central Terminal for commuters to get their inscriptions done in person and in a hurry.

This year, as an added attraction, the folks at Johnnie Walker asked GG President Dan Gerstein to serve as their in-house inscription expert. As part of his wordsmithing duties, Dan will be hosting office hours at the Grand Central engraving kiosk on Thursday, June 14, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. He will also be available to do phone consultations, which can be arranged by emailing fathersday@hunterpr.com.

For those who can’t make it to Grand Central, Dan developed a handy set of tips and tricks to help sons and daughters of all persuasions deliver a gift their dad will never forget.

1) Keep it tight. Remember, you only have 45 characters to say something memorable. So think of your words as being precious as the gift you are giving—to be poured with care. Don't worry about signing your name; write the right thing, and he'll know who the gift is from. Focus on maximizing your message.

2) Make it personal. A special gift like Johnnie Walker Blue Label deserves a special inscription. So leave the generic Father's Day wishes to the greeting card people and show your dad you're thinking of him. It doesn't matter whether you're serious, goofy, cryptic, or simple—just try to be original and personal. Share some inside insight, like referencing his favorite team or the golf trip you took to Scotland together. The surest way to connect with him is to connect the message to you.

3) Know your audience. Most dads love Blue Label. But their other tastes can vary widely, particularly when it comes to matters of the heart. What sounds like corn pone to one man can sing like a tone poem to another. So don't feel the need to meet somebody else's expectations. If your dad appreciates wordplay, have some pun. If he's more sentimental, play those heartstrings. Either way, speak his language.

4) Show yourself. Since you are striving to send a special message, it's great to aim high. Should you be inspired to say something profound or witty, go for it. But it's more important for your engraving to ring true as you. So while you're speaking dad's language, make sure it's with your accent. Use words and phrasing that come naturally and sound familiar. There's a straight line from authentic to "Awwwww. . . ."

5) Stay classy. Your inscription should be special to you and your dad. But bear in mind that he may want to share his Blue Label—along with your message—by putting it on display in the den or at the office for all comers to see. It's fine to have some fun. Just be sure, as you have done your whole life, to make him proud.

You can find out more details about the Blue Label Father’s Day campaign here.