Comments on: &

By: Rachel Dacus

Rachel Dacus — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:17:24 +0000

If anyone ever holds a come-as-your-favorite-font party I’m there: Palatino ampersand, pronounced “et.” This is a delightful discussion.

By: JMartin

JMartin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:51:59 +0000

Proof that everything looks better in Garamond? The Printer’s Ball approaches here in Chicago (will Qarrts be displayed?), once again to dash my hopes for a come-as-your-favorite-font party. Surely font choice would be useful for ruling out partners, just as one avoids Ayn Rand acolytes and fantasy baseball enthusiasts.

How grand to be directed back to this delightful exchange. I imagine a John O’Brien cartoon of beach volleyball, with unspooled ampersands as net and an anxiously-coiled version as ball.

By: Ivy

Ivy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:08:13 +0000

Have you seen the italic ampersand in Garamond? Bella! *kisses fingertips*

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 07 May 2006 20:49:49 +0000

That’s interesting! A little frightening, in fact – can you imagine how editors would react if I sent them stuff with “‘n”s?!

Thanks for the comment. (Late is always O.K.; I’ll see them no matter what.)

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sun, 07 May 2006 20:40:15 +0000

Dave,

I’m a little late, but I don’t think anyone has mentioned this. Maybe because it is my own oddness? I “hear” the ampersand as ‘n rather than “and”. Beautiful ‘n blameless.

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 06 May 2006 21:07:59 +0000

Hat! Thanks for stopping by.

a fine declaration of independence from the banality of everyday spelling
I like that. And I do share your fondness for Carruth. That’s a great, bluesy stanza you quote, and I think it displays what strikes me as a certain wrapped-upness to the adjectives he connects with “&”s.

By: language hat

language hat — Sat, 06 May 2006 19:05:12 +0000

I love ampersands too, both in handwritten notes and published poetry. I don’t care about historical associations with “language poets” — as far as I’m concerned, they’re a fine declaration of independence from the banality of everyday spelling, and if they’re good enough for Hayden Carruth (Green Mountain Idyl: “Honey I’d split your kindling/ clean & bright/ & fine/ if you was mine”), they’re good enough for me.

What a great thread!

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 06 May 2006 12:30:01 +0000

With digressions like these, who cares about the thread?

Hi, Zhoen! Thanks for weighing in.

By: St Antonym

St Antonym — Sat, 06 May 2006 02:01:11 +0000

Dr Dre didn’t go to medical school, Judge Dredd is yet to pass the bar and King Kong has no subjects.

That’s my story and I’m sticking with it. For today at least.

(I must say, though, that Dr Evil did attend Evil Medical School for six years so he, at least, is a real doctor).

This is a fine Nigerian tradition, by the way, this arbitrary use of honorifics. The most notable living musicians are: King Sunny Ade, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Sir Shina Peters, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall…

We must have passed it on to our American cousins: Count Basie, Duke Ellington.

So, “Saint” is small potatoes. But what with the hairshirt and the locusts, I’m frankly thinking of upgrading to Pope. Or, at the least, Cardinal.

End of digression. Back to &.

By: Zhoen

Zhoen — Sat, 06 May 2006 00:27:17 +0000

Ah, well, but then, I use British spellings and archaic phrasings, and do so not only in my writing, but in my everyday speech. (Yes, I actually do say the u in behaviour.) As does my beloved D, and we both did this before we met. Affectation or genuine eccentricity? Well, we found each other endearing, as others no doubt often found each of us irritating for exactly the same reasons. Like poetry itself, a matter of who is saying it, personal taste, and affection.

I just can never hit the right keys to use &, in addition to having to shift – I would have writings full of 7s.