Eminem :: the writer

A couple weeks ago I watched 60 Minutes with my little brother, solely to see Eminem's interview with Anderson Cooper.

The white rapper can definitely write. If you're any kind of fan of Eminem, you know he uses some creative (sometimes explicit) lyrics. It was fascinating to listen to him talk about words and the process of writing lyrics and how he jots down all these ideas...even if they never come to fruition.

Here's one particular take from the interview to give you just a glimpse:



The man reads the dictionary for inspiration! What could be more writerly? Watching 60 Minutes definitely upped my level of respect for the music artist.

You can watch the whole interview here.

word of the day:: arabesque

arabesque:

[ar-uh-besk]

–noun

1.  Fine Arts . a sinuous, spiraling, undulating, or serpentine line or linear motif.

2. a pose in ballet in which the dancer stands on one leg with one arm extended in front and the other leg and arm extended behind.

3. a short, fanciful musical piece, typically for piano.

4. any ornament or ornamental object, as a rug or mosaic, inwhich flowers, foliage, fruits, vases, animals, and figures are represented in a fancifully combined pattern.

-adjective

5. decorated with or characterized by arabesques: arabesque design.

  

Origin:

1605–15;  < F < It arabesco  ornament in Islamic style, lit.,Arabian, equiv. to arab ( o ) arab  + -esco -esque

"What is line? It is life. A line must live at each point along its course in such a way that the artist's presence makes itself felt above that of the model.... With the writer, line takes precedence over form and content. It runs through the words he assembles. It strikes a continuous note unperceived by ear or eye. It is, in a way, the soul's style, and if the line ceases to have a life of its own, if it only describes an arabesque, the soul is missing and the writing dies.. "

:: Jean Cocteau ::

* Definition from www.dictionary.com

word of the day :: popinjay

popinjay:

[pop-in-jey]

–noun

1.  a person given to vain, pretentious displays and empty chatter; coxcomb; fop.
2. British Dialect: a woodpecker, esp. the green woodpecker.
3. Archaic: the figure of a parrot, usually fixed on a pole and used as a target in archery and gun shooting.
4. Archaic: a parrot.

  

Origin:

1275–1325;  ME papejay, popingay, papinjai ( e ) < MF papegai, papingay  parrot < Sp papagayo  < Ar bab ( ba ) ghā'

"A serious writer is not to be confounded with a solemn writer. A serious writer may be a hawk or a buzzard or even a popinjay, but a solemn writer is always a bloody owl. "

:: Ernest Hemingway ::

* Definition from www.dictionary.com