Tremendous Trifles: Inspiration for Writers

I discovered one of my favorite writers of all time, G.K. Chesterton, through reading some of my other favorite authors, such as Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I noticed the writers I admired kept referring to this one fellow, so I just had to check him out.
Well, it was worth the modest effort it took to track him down, G.K. proved insightful, imaginative and above all entertaining. It turned out that not only had the man inspired other authors and journalists, but politicians and revolutionaries like Ghandi and Michael Collins.
But what's of particular interest to writers, particularly free-form bloggers like myself, is Chesterton's ability to look at an ordinary object and see the extraordinary about it. It is on this that a whole series of his newspaper columns was based. These columns were later collected into a book, aptly titled Tremendous Trifles, which was published in 1909.
Each short piece in the book describes one of Chesterton's many everyday adventures, from walking home in the rain to an exploration of the contents of his pockets, to finding a piece of chalk to sketch with. Chesterton imbues each of these small curiosities with some sort of mythic significance, making a grand hero's quest out of minor inconveniences, and cheerfully building literary mountains out of mundane molehills.
This ability to find the fascination in small things, and view the everyday from a fresh perspective is of great value to any writer, but is especially relevant in the nonstop chatter of the blogosphere, where everybody is looking for their niche. There are a million voices out there, of varying slants and skill levels, yammering away about politics, sports and celebrities, making it nearly impossible to get noticed. But on the other hand, if one can find a tiny corner of the web, something small and easy to overlook, but wonderful and interesting when presented in the right light, one might just be creating something that's really new and valuable.

You can find a digital copy of Tremendous Trifles here, or have it ordered at your local bookstore.

Tying One On: The Bowtie as a Business Casual Alternative

Authors Note: I'm doing a class on blogging for Hunterdon County ESC. I'll be making a series of seemingly random and unrelated posts over the next few days, to use as examples of different types of blogs. Please, however, feel free to read and comment on these as you would any other post.
Today's blog: Fashion

"Business Casual." Possibly the most confusing two-word combination in the entire history of employment. Does that mean "wear a suit, but not a tie," or simply "no sneakers," or one of about a thousand things in between?
On the other hand, the very vagueness of the term leaves far more room for sartorial self-expression than can be found in a strictly dark-suit-and-power-tie environment. This is where the bow tie comes in.
For the vast majority of men, a bow tie is something only worn with a tuxedo (unless you're going for one of those tuxedo-with-necktie get ups, which I'm guessing will soon go the way of the pastel blue tuxes and extremely ruffled shirts that seemed popular thirty years ago), however the bow tie has always been technically correct in any situation where a regular four-in-hand necktie would be appropriate.
I personally feel that the looser style and slightly nonconformist image of the bow lends itself well to a more casual style. Paired with a blazer or v-neck adds a bit of preppy charm, or with a tweed sport coat it evokes the country gentleman, college professor or, to the sci-fi geek, the latest incarnation of Doctor Who.
The best and worst thing about wearing the bow tie, of course, is that because it is an unusual style, it will be noticed. Wear one to the office once a month and you'll be forever known as "the guy who wears a bow tie." Don't try it if you're shy, but if you do, you'll be sure to make in impression.

The v-neck and bow option fills up some of that extra real estate on your shirt front, but risks looking a little too preppy for some, try it with jeans if you want it to loosen the look up a bit.

The tweed jacket makes for a casual and slightly old-fashioned look, perfect for college professors and small-town journalists. Remember, the tie shouldn't be too tidy, otherwise it'll look like a clip on. Also, I'm not actually hung over in this picture, the camera just caught me mid-blink.