A Guide In Communication,
Kyle De Lotto
The New York Times has an online archive of articles that goes back to its inception in 1851. “Fires in California” was published on January 18, 1953. The piece is one unnamed author’s opinion in regards to a correspondent’s account of a fire in the city of Sacramento. “They had been burn [sic] out, and were building up again; and the event appeared to be, rather than otherwise, exhilarating,” he writes. It’s an audacious statement to make after fourteen were killed and 2,000 to 3,000 houses were destroyed except for five brick buildings. The author makes his admiration for these frontiersmen knowingly clear:
The truth is, however, that everything has proceeded on the “go ahead” principle alone…Instead of guarding against configurations by the construction of their houses, the Californians seem to prefer taking the risk as it comes…
By this time, in all human probability, a new City of Sacramento is substantially completed of more magnificent proportions, more durable material, and greater riches than the one that perished six weeks ago. It is certainly a great thing to say, but American towns are built almost as rapidly as they are burnt, and the Kings of Palestine, who constructed eighty or a hundred cities in a lifetime, seem to be surpassed by Anglo Saxon colonists who create almost as many in a year.
The truth is, however, that everything has proceeded on the “go ahead” principle alone…Instead of guarding against configurations by the construction of their houses, the Californians seem to prefer taking the risk as it comes…
By this time, in all human probability, a new City of Sacramento is substantially completed of more magnificent proportions, more durable material, and greater riches than the one that perished six weeks ago. It is certainly a great thing to say, but American towns are built almost as rapidly as they are burnt, and the Kings of Palestine, who constructed eighty or a hundred cities in a lifetime, seem to be surpassed by Anglo Saxon colonists who create almost as many in a year.
Communication is changing quickly and it’s creating as much of a breakdown as a build−up.
This language is representative of its time. People moved to California and built empires searching for gold. Everything was open and promising—big picture stuff. Letters were long−winded and the language was resolute. These days it’s all about the minutiae. Companies sneak in advertisements wherever they can. Bills and stickers are posted all over the city. People write little messages on little phones when they find the time. There’s something called a viral−campaign. The language is cut up and convoluted, everything seems a bit cryptic. Communication is changing quickly and it’s creating as much of a breakdown as a build−up. The newspapers talk about cancers, literary deficiencies, and short attention spans. Literary types fear for the novel. It’s a new frontier without the promise of a new prosperity. Even if the research doesn’t agree, let it burn, we might end up with something better.
A Guide In Communication,
Kyle De Lotto
The New York Times has an online archive of articles that goes back to its inception in 1851. “Fires in California” was published on January 18, 1953. The piece is one unnamed author’s opinion in regards to a correspondent’s account of a fire in the city of Sacramento. “They had been burn [sic] out, and were building up again; and the event appeared to be, rather than otherwise, exhilarating,” he writes. It’s an audacious statement to make after fourteen were killed and 2,000 to 3,000 houses were destroyed except for five brick buildings. The author makes his admiration for these frontiersmen knowingly clear:
The truth is, however, that everything has proceeded on the “go ahead” principle alone…Instead of guarding against configurations by the construction of their houses, the Californians seem to prefer taking the risk as it comes…
By this time, in all human probability, a new City of Sacramento is substantially completed of more magnificent proportions, more durable material, and greater riches than the one that perished six weeks ago. It is certainly a great thing to say, but American towns are built almost as rapidly as they are burnt, and the Kings of Palestine, who constructed eighty or a hundred cities in a lifetime, seem to be surpassed by Anglo Saxon colonists who create almost as many in a year.
The truth is, however, that everything has proceeded on the “go ahead” principle alone…Instead of guarding against configurations by the construction of their houses, the Californians seem to prefer taking the risk as it comes…
By this time, in all human probability, a new City of Sacramento is substantially completed of more magnificent proportions, more durable material, and greater riches than the one that perished six weeks ago. It is certainly a great thing to say, but American towns are built almost as rapidly as they are burnt, and the Kings of Palestine, who constructed eighty or a hundred cities in a lifetime, seem to be surpassed by Anglo Saxon colonists who create almost as many in a year.
Communication is changing quickly and it’s creating as much of a breakdown as a build−up.
This language is representative of its time. People moved to California and built empires searching for gold. Everything was open and promising—big picture stuff. Letters were long−winded and the language was resolute. These days it’s all about the minutiae. Companies sneak in advertisements wherever they can. Bills and stickers are posted all over the city. People write little messages on little phones when they find the time. There’s something called a viral−campaign. The language is cut up and convoluted, everything seems a bit cryptic. Communication is changing quickly and it’s creating as much of a breakdown as a build−up. The newspapers talk about cancers, literary deficiencies, and short attention spans. Literary types fear for the novel. It’s a new frontier without the promise of a new prosperity. Even if the research doesn’t agree, let it burn, we might end up with something better.
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