BJ Hoff's GRACE NOTES

Word Abuse

I'm not sure what to call this: a pet peeve, perhaps? It's not merely political correctness, although that's often part of the picture. It's not as simple as the misuse of words or phrases, although sometimes that's what it amounts to. It's not necessarily a deliberate ploy to undermine or soften a situation, or skirt an issue--except in politics, and then ... yes, there's that. Let's just say that it is a pet peeve and lump it all under the same umbrella for now. 

The "it" I'm referring to appears frequently in the media, often initiated by politics or politicians, and sometimes by a kind of laziness or outright bias on the part of commentators and journalists. I'm referring to the annoying substitution and changes of perfectly legitimate words and phrases by others that seem, well ... inappropriate or meaningless or downright silly.

For example: the former "global war on terror" has recently ended, replaced by an "overseas contingency operation." Catchy, isn't it? 

And then there's "investing" instead of "spending." And "terrorism" has become "man-caused disasters." "Enemy combatants" are no more: they're now "persons whom the President has the right to detain." Look for that one in the next update of your favorite dictionary.  

We hear a lot these days about "bailouts," but more often they're just another part of the "stimulus plan." (Personally, I think "porkulus plan" says it all.) 

Substituting an "unfortunate error" or "bad decision" is the new standard for sin. Politicians are especially fond of this one. But remember when sin was just ... sin?

We don't clean up our act any longer. We "move forward."

And I know this is trivial--so trivial I'm not even sure why it annoys me, but when a classy-looking, supposedly well-educated news reporter refers to police officers as "cops" or children as "kids" and a collective group of men and women as "guys" or an object of some particular interest as "this puppy," I get a strong urge to call out the slang police.  

I know, I know--there's no hill to die on in any of this, but I said it was a pet peeve, didn't I?

I'll warrant you have a few of your own, right?

BJ

      

Mass Grave for Irish Immigrants Discovered

It's believed that a mass grave for nearly five dozen 19th-century Irish immigrants has been discovered. The immigrants, believed to have died of cholera, had traveled to Pennsylvania to help build a railroad.

This from Kathy Matheson, Associated Press Writer:

' ... Historians at Immaculata University have known for years about the 57 immigrants who died in August 1832 but could not find the grave. Human bones discovered last week near the suburban Philadelphia university may at last reveal their final resting place - and possibly allow researchers to identify the remains and repatriate them.

"We feel a kinship with these men," said Immaculata history professor William Watson. "Righting an injustice has led us to this point."

The woodsy site where the bones were found is known as Duffy's Cut. It is named after Philip Duffy, who hired the immigrants from Donegal, Tyrone and Derry to help build the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad.

Years of combing the several acres of rough terrain in Duffy's Cut had so far yielded about 2,000 artifacts, including pipes, buttons and forks. Then on Friday, researchers using ground-penetrating radar unearthed pieces of two skulls along with dozens of other bone fragments and teeth. The findings were announced Tuesday.

Research led Watson to conclude many of the Irish workers died of cholera, an acute intestinal infection caused by contaminated food or water that typically had a mortality rate of 40 percent to 60 percent.

Watson believes some of the workers may have been murdered because of their illness or ethnicity. There was general prejudice against Irish Catholics, tension between residents and the transient workers, and a great fear of cholera - especially among the affluent classes, Watson said.

Anyone with cholera "was deemed to be almost subhuman," Watson said. "God forbid it would spread to the respectable segments of society."

Researchers including University of Pennsylvania geosciences professor Tim Bechtel expect to find bullets buried with the bones.

"Every shovelful of dirt that comes out of there ought to be sifted," Bechtel said.

The immigrants were buried anonymously in a ditch outside what is now Malvern, about 30 miles west of Philadelphia. All day long trains travel past the site, which backs up to a manicured subdivision in East Whiteland Township.

Watson and his twin brother, Frank, also a historian, started the Duffy's Cut Project in 2003, a year after learning of the workers and their demise from the personal papers of their late grandfather, who had worked for the railroad much later on.

Watson said they have discovered the names of 15 of the 57 immigrants with help from a ship's passenger list, and even have tentatively identified one set of remains as that of John Ruddy, a teenager.

Researchers plan to extract DNA from the bones and find living descendants of the men in Ireland. The goal is to identify them all and either repatriate their remains or give them proper burials, Watson said.

The railroad never informed the men's families of their deaths and instead allowed the bodies to be "thrown into a ditch and treated like garbage," Watson said.

"This was someone's son or brother or husband," he said. "Something has to be done."

Breandan O'Caollai, deputy consul general of Ireland in New York, praised the Watson brothers for their commitment to the project.

"This is a very important discovery that will help bring some closure to a very sad chapter in Irish-American history," O'Caollai said.'

 

 

BJ

 

 

What's the Attraction?

This is one of those "little of this, and a little of that" entries that most likely no one but readers and writers will finish reading. But that's perfectly all right, because Grace Notes began as a web log for readers and writers!

I was thinking the other day about what attracts me to the work of certain writers. Not that I could isolate only one facet per writer. Most writers I read regularly offer a number of different elements in their work that appeals to me or at least "hooks" me for one reason or another. But there are some writers I read often enough that it's become easy to know what I can expect from each. I don't have time for a complete list, of course, but here's a sampling:

For example: Writers who compel me to think and even challenge my beliefs include: Jodi Picoult. Richard North Patterson. Flannery O'Connor. Anne Tyler. Lisa Samson. Angela Hunt.

Writers who give me a strong story in a mix of both literary and commercial fiction, and usually with psychological insights: Jodi Picoult (again). Anita Shreve. Alice Hoffman. Jamie Langston Turner. Pat Conroy. Leif Enger. Niall Williams. Joyce Carol Oates. Patty Hickman. Khaled Hosseini. W. Dale Cramer. Susan Howatch. Ann Tatlock.

If I'm in the mood for a creepy evening and a few genuine chills, I can turn to--Stephen King. Travis Thrasher. Dean Koontz (who can also tug at my heart with his winsome characters and wonderful dogs).

A good love story? A fine romance? Or just general women's fiction? So many to choose from! LuAnne Rice. Deb Raney. LaVyrle Spencer. Charles Martin. Sara Donati. Debbie Macomber. Robin Lee Hatcher. Belva Plain.

Sometimes I crave a good mystery, suspense,  and/or courtroom drama--John Grisham. Richard North Patterson (again). John Hart. Anne Perry. Elizabeth George. Brandt Dodson. Dean Koontz (again). Colleen Coble. Terri Blackstock. Mary Higgins Clark. Harlan Coben.

A grand story with a strong lacing of Irish--Frank Delaney. Frank McCourt. Frank O'Connor (his short stories). Thomas Flanagan. Pete Hamill. Morgan Llywelyn. Betty Smith. William Trevor (his short stories).

Fiction that keeps me guessing and surprises me--Angela Hunt (again). Jodi Picoult (yes, again!). Athol Dickson.

One of my first loves--historical fiction (including historical romance and Gothic romance)--Kevin Baker. Liz Curtis Higgs. Francine Rivers. Jane Kirkpatrick. Philippa Gregory. Stephen Lawhead. Gore Vidal. Jeff Shaara. Michael Shaara. Leon Uris. Sara Donati (again). Jack Cavanaugh. Taylor Caldwell. James Michener. Dorothy Dunnett. Victoria Holt. Phyllis Whitney. Susan Howatch.

Appalachian fiction--Silas House. Harriette Arnow. Janice Holt Giles. Denise Giardina. James Still. Jesse Stuart. Jan Karon. Mary Lee Settle. Lee Smith.

Sometimes you just need a story that warms your heart and makes you feel good-- Jan Karon. Janice Holt Giles.

And then there are those you read for the sheer poetry and beauty and rhythm of the language, among other reasons--Ann Tatlock (again). Niall Williams (again). Jamie Langston Turner (again). Silas House (again). Pete Hamill (again). Walter Macken.

Would love to see your own lists, either here in the comments, or on your own blog.

BJ

Q & A

Q. What are you working on now?

A. Book Two of The Riverhaven Years, Where Grace Abides, and research for Book Three of the same series.

Q. Is your new book, the American Anthem, the same as the three books released a few years ago in the American anthem series--Prelude, Cadence, and Jubilee?

A. Yes. The new American Anthem is a re-release: a three-in-one edition of those same three titles, all in one book, newly packaged with new covers, etc. by my current publisher, Harvest House. 

Q. What's the biggest challenge you deal with as a writer?

A. Time. There's never enough.

Q. Are you a democrat or a republican?

A. Yes.

Q. Do you have to have a certain number of words in your books? If so, how many?

A. Actually, I'm fortunate to work with a publisher who doesn't confine me to a strict number of words, but more to parameters. They give me guidelines, and I try to stay within those guidelines, but if I vary one way or the other--so long as it's not a major difference--it still works out all right.

BJ