Uncategorized | February 03, 2004
"Like" is, like, a problem.
I had a writing teacher not long ago who, on the first day of our class, set out a small, tarnished incense holder with a vented lid on the table in front of him. He told us that, in his class, we would be charged 25 cents for saying the word “like” when critiquing the work of our peers, and our money would go inside his ancient container. We all laughed a little nervously. Of course, an exception would be made for the other use of “like,” the, like, pause-word of choice for, like, my generation. The banishment of that kind of “like,” though perhaps even more important, is not the topic at hand. “Enjoy,” “adore,” “love,” “hate,” and a host of other words, all denoting the same empty flattery or insult were also prohibited.
Throughout the semester, many a quarter was lost in the battle for precise and valuable criticism. In the end, though, because we were forced to really evaluate what made a piece good or bad, we developed the vocabulary so necessary for serious writers and editors. Plus, our teacher used the spoils to buy pizza for us at the end of the semester. He called the last day of class the “I Like Pizza Party.”
SEE THE ISSUE
SUGGESTED CONTENT

Poem of the Week
Feb 22 2021
Marlin M. Jenkins “o god let me be soft”
This week’s Poem of the Week is “o god let me be soft” by Marlin M. Jenkins! Marlin M. Jenkins was born and raised in Detroit and currently lives in… read more

Poem of the Week
Feb 15 2021
Dana Alsamsam “The Day Before Moving Day”
This week’s Poem of the Week is “The Day Before Moving Day” by Dana Alsamsam! Dana Alsamsam is a first generation Syrian-American from Chicago and is currently based in Boston… read more

Poem of the Week
Feb 08 2021
Carlie Hoffman “Writing Prompt in Which You Create a Character Out of Someone You Know”
This week’s Poem of the Week is “Writing Prompt in Which You Create a Character Out of Someone You Know” by Carlie Hoffman! Carlie Hoffman is the author of two… read more