-------- MANTEX NEWSLETTER -------- Number 96 - September 2004 - ISSN 1470-1863 Words - Language - Stories - Publishing 0----- 'Port Out, Starboard Home' - new book It's the origin of the term 'posh' - right? Wrong. Michael Quinion's researches into the origins of words reveals what he calls the folk or false etymologies. This is his compilation. It's a fascinating tour through explanations of words and expressions which sound quite plausible - but are wrong. Fortunately he gives the best known history, or he admits that we just don't know. It's based on extensive research (he's an advisor to Oxford English Dictionary) but it's written in a lively style. Full review at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/quinion.htm 0----- Pub Quiz - Question #1 Who painted 'A Bigger Splash'? 0----- Weird facts #1 Bottle-nosed dolphins sleep with one eye open. 0----- 'Literacy and The Politics of Writing' - new book This is an academic study which looks at some fundamental issues to do with writing, literacy, books, and the political relationship between texts and society. It traces the history of writing as it developed in many parts of the world; it's very well illustrated; and there are some fascinating examples of books and writing systems which are completely unlike the European 'norm'. Albertine Gaur explores alphabets, typography, information systems, the culture of writing systems, and their social implications. Teachers might be interested in the swipes she takes at the UK's current National Literacy Strategy. Details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/gaur.htm 0----- Pub Quiz - Question #2 Who designed the original Volkswagen? 0----- Weird Facts #2 Anne Boleyn had a bigger bust than Jayne Mansfield, and both died by decapitation. [Big girls. Sad loss.] 0----- 'Getting Published' - Academic Writing If you want to get on in the academic world, there are no two ways about it - you've got to publish your work. It could be a research paper, or it could be a book - the principles are the same. You've got to know how to jump through the hoops with publishers; how to convert research findings into something publishable; how to handle and structure large amounts of material; and how to present your work in the best light. Jerry Wellington shows you how to do all this, and more besides. Full details and review at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/wellington.htm 0----- Pub Quiz - Question #3 Who wrote 'The Garden Party'? 0----- Weird Facts #3 Distemper (the dog disease) is immunologically related to measles. [Woof! Woof!] 0----- 'New Media in Late 20thC Art' - media art In the post-1950 period, people began to experiment with art works made from mixed media - TV and dance; video and painting; cinema and reportage. Latterly these forms have all been merging with the digital revolution available via the Internet. This book is a guide to all these movements and experiments. It takes a non-judgemental view of everything from personal video diaries to 'installations' where people broadcast their own cosmetic surgery operations (with commentary) whilst under local anaesthetic. Lots of new art forms to whet your appetite here. Full review and details - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/rush-1.htm 0----- Pub Quiz - Question #4 Who composed 'Katya Kabanova'? 0----- Weird Facts #4 The vocabulary of the average person consists of 5,000 to 6,000 words. [Yours will be more of course.] 0----- "Writers' + Artists' Yearbook" - latest edition The latest and much-expanded edition of this best-selling reference book has just appeared. It's an encyclopedia of everything that writers, journalists, and media workers need for contacts with publishers, agents, and anyone else in the communication industries. The latest edition is a whopping 100 pages bigger than usual, and it contains extra articles on e-publishing, adaptation, and ghostwriting - as well as how to do your tax returns after you land that Hollywood contract. If you want to publish your writing, locate outlets, mug up on copyright, or see the best-seller lists for last year - it's all here. And Amazon are currently offering at 30% off . A bargain. Details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/black.htm There's a rival publication called "The Writer's Handbook" which appears at the same time. The main difference is that the Handbook puts more emphasis on journalism and the broadcast media. See the differences at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/turner.htm 0----- Pub Quiz - Question #5 What year followed 1 BC? 0----- Weird Facts #5 Women shoplift more often than men. The statistics are 4 to 1. 0----- 'Greenspeak: An Irish Dictionary' - new book This is a very charming book. It's a dictionary-cum-encyclopedia of all things Irish. It covers topics from language, music, and literature, to history, politics, and folk lore. It's a handsomely and well-produced book, full of illustrations, and is surrounded by a full scholarly apparatus. Full review and details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/sammon.htm 0----- Pub Quiz - Question #6 Who directed 'The Third Man'? 0----- Weird Facts #6 An ounce of gold can be stretched into a wire 50 miles long. 0----- 'Versus' - new fonts book This is an odd publication - a collection of photos which serve as the background to a set of new fonts. The book itself is visually interesting, but the real substance is in the attached CD. This offers a free batch of all the fonts used in the book. They range from usable modern designs to some of the almost insanely unreadable, but they are all available f-r-e-e to use. Details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/ernst.htm 0----- Pub Quiz Question #7 Which language dos the term 'anorak', come from? 0----- Weird Facts #7 The common toad can live for 40 years! 0----- 'How to Survive your Viva' - new book The PhD viva examination is one of the most crucial and nerve-racking experiences of academic life - and yet very few people prepare for it properly. This is the first book of its kind in the UK. It tells you how to get ready for the occasion; how to know your rights in advance; what the rules are; what will (or should) take place; how to deal with difficult questions; and how to make sure that you have prepared for every eventuality. Full review at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/murray-2.htm 0----- Pub Quiz Question #8 Who designed the Albert Memorial and St Pancras railway station? 0----- Weird Facts #8 Most lipstick contains fish scales! [Remember that next time you pucker up!] 0----- 'The Short Story' - classic re-issued This is a classic study of the short story which has just been re-issued in popular paperback form. It traces the development of the short story as a literary form, from the start of the nineteenth century to the present day. Charles May looks at the short story as a literary genre and points to those writers in the twentieth century who he thinks have added something new. The emphasis is on American writers, but it's a compact and readable introduction if you want to take stories seriously. Details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/may.htm 0----- Pub Quiz Question #9 What is the capital of Armenia? 0----- Weird Facts #9 A hamlet is a village without a church, and a town is not a city until it has a cathedral. [So there!] 0----- 'The Rules of PhD Research' - new book Anyone undertaking the long haul of research for a doctorate needs all the help they can get. Believe me - everybody who's done it will agree. Gordon Rugg's new book takes you through the whole process, from start to finish. The heart of the book is a step-by-step analysis of a typical PhD thesis, showing you why all the details need to be right. Review and details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/rugg.htm 0----- Pub Quiz Question #10 What nationality was composer Heitor Villa-Lobos? 0----- Weird facts #10 There are more than 10 million bricks in the Empire State Building. 0----- New Arts - Jazz We're adding an extra section to Mantex reviews which deals with visual arts, music, architecture, and design. First item for the autumn season is a book of Philip Larkin's reviews of jazz records and books. This is one for connoisseurs of either the occasional writings of an influential poet, or jazz and social criticism. Full review and details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/palmer-3.htm 0----- Quotable quotes - "If only God would give me some clear sign. Like making a large deposit in my name in a Swiss bank." Woody Allen 0----- Feedback + Corrections Hoist on One's own Apostrophe It's ironic that in the last issue which featured an item on the grocer's apostrophe, we should have let one slip through the net. Yes - Weird Fact #1 should have read "A polar bear's skin is black and its fur is colourless" - not it's - as Douglas Weeks was kind enough to point out. Tony Fisher also wrote from deepest Nottingham on Weird Facts #2. [The names of all the continents end with the same letter that they begin with.] "Not really, as America is not a single continent, so when you have the two separate continents of North America and South America the 'rule' breaks down rather!" And as Letitia Keogh pointed out - this only works when the words are written in English. Thanks also to Jane Dards for some Weird Facts in this issue. 0----- PUB QUIZ - ANSWERS #1 Who painted 'A Bigger Splash'? ANSWER: David Hockney #2 Who wrote 'The Garden Party'? ANSWER: Katherine Mansfield #3 Who composed 'Katya Kabanova'? ANSWER: Leos Janacek #4 Who designed the original Volkswagen? ANSWER: Ferdinand Porsche #5 What year followed 1 BC? ANSWER: AD 1 #6 Who directed 'The Third Man'? ANSWER: Carol Reed #7 Which language dos the term 'anorak', come from? ANSWER: Eskimo #8 Who designed the Albert Memorial and St Pancras railway station? ANSWER: Sir George Gilbert Scott #9 What is the capital of Armenia? ANSWER: Yerevan #10 What nationality was composer Heitor Villa-Lobos? ANSWER: Brazilian 0----- COMING SOON Journalism in the Information Age Content Syndication with RSS Dictionary of Modern Quotations The Art and Science of Scriptwriting Supervising the Doctorate How to Make Money Scriptwriting Build the Coolest Website in Cyberspace (c) Copyright 2004, MANTEX All Rights Reserved PO Box 100 Tel +44 0161 432 5811 Manchester Fax +44 0161 443 2766 M20 6GZ UK www.mantex.co.uk If you like this newsletter, PLEASE FORWARD IT to friends and colleagues. New subscribers should register at the following address -- http://www.mantex.co.uk/newslet.htm BACK ISSUES featuring news items, reviews, and product details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/news/archive.htm Please retain the copyright and list-joining information. It may be posted, in its entirety or partially, to newsgroups or mailing lists, so long as the copyright and list-joining information remains. If you have any requests, observations, or items you would like to be included in our next issues, just mail us at -- news@mantex.co.uk You receive the MANTEX newsletter because you subscribed to it. If you wish to leave the list, go to -- http://www.mantex.co.uk/newslet.htm News-96-September-2004 ISSN 1470-1863 The British Library