Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Reverse Socratic Method


The “reverse Socratic method”: Force everyone to ask you questions about increasingly specialized topics until they get to the question you want. It's an idea of my own invention.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Newswriting exercise


The Assignment:


To reformat the opening of a newspaper article so that it's less clunky; punchier.


The Opening: 


"Maria Ramero, 23, of 154 East Lansing Blvd., in Riverdale, and her daughter, Jessica Ramero, 4, of the same address, were killed when their car collided with a milk truck at 4:13 p.m. at the corner of Wayne and First streets at Riverdale yesterday."


My Answers:


"Milk isn't always good for your bones. Maria Ramero, 23, and her young daughter were killed early this morning by a renegade milk truck."


"Got milk? A Riverdale mother and her four-year-old daughter wish they hadn't."