One of the precious things I uncovered during the sorting frenzy over past weeks was a letter from my mother about forty years ago."David," she said, "You use too many big words"... When it came to writing books, her brief comment sometimes guided me well, but occasionally was completely forgotten.
More significant, in the days of computer keyboards, was my propensity (Sorry, Mum) for long, tortured sentences. Churchill could write in that style but my long suffering editor Graham tried to discourage me from doing it.
But words or sentences continue to intrigue and satisfy me while also being challenging and demanding. I guess I enjoy writing.
So it was encouraging to read, on my sleepless smartphone at 3am, in GK Chesterton's The Man Who Knew Too Much, that his hero, Horne Fisher, "drank no wine, but was intoxicated with words".
I think I know what he meant. I hope it is an acceptable intoxication.
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Hi Dave,
ReplyDeleteI came across your blog (which is excellent, but the way) while doing some research on plain English language and Church jargon.
We share the same name (assuming Dave is short for David). I also come from a long line of Presbyterian ministers (although I am not one myself) in Scotland and then later Australia.
Any chance you have a knowledge of your family tree? If so, any chance you've got a James Mullan, minister of the Free Kirk of Scotland somewhere on it?