Only DFW would begin an essay with the sentence, “Did you know that probing the seamy underbelly of US lexicography reveals ideological strife and controversy and intrigue and nastiness and fervor on a near-Lewinskian scale?”
This has been a review.
Only DFW would begin an essay with the sentence, “Did you know that probing the seamy underbelly of US lexicography reveals ideological strife and controversy and intrigue and nastiness and fervor on a near-Lewinskian scale?”
This has been a review.
“near-Lewinskian scale”? I know I’m writing this away from my copy of the Harper’s that has the original essay (which I loved), but I’d swear it originally read “hanging-chad scale”… am I wrong?
Absolutely correct. (I just checked my photocopy of the original Folio.)
An improvement, I think.
i whole-heartedly agree
that opening sentence put a big smile on my face