http://www.geezersisters.com/writing/fascinating-and-i-should-know Austin, Texas novelist Ruth Pennebaker, who's old enough to call herself "fabulous," writes about family, politics, marriage, friendship, feminism, aging and whatever else occurs to her. Her latest novel, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough, was published by Berkley in January 2011. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:24:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.geezersisters.com/writing/fascinating-and-i-should-know/comment-page-1#comment-5892 ruthpennebaker Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:36:14 +0000 http://www.geezersisters.com/?p=2570#comment-5892 <p>Deb -- See http://analyzewords.com/.</p> Deb — See http://analyzewords.com/.

]]> http://www.geezersisters.com/writing/fascinating-and-i-should-know/comment-page-1#comment-5891 Winston Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:27:44 +0000 http://www.geezersisters.com/?p=2570#comment-5891 A social psychologist?  Thanks, but I'll just remain a social butterfly.   Ruth?  A failure at neuroticism?  You're going to drive her over the edge. And as for long-johns, every fashion niche has its devotees, I suppose. <em>Come get your kicks, on route stitchity-stitch!</em> A social psychologist?  Thanks, but I’ll just remain a social butterfly.
 
Ruth?  A failure at neuroticism?  You’re going to drive her over the edge.
And as for long-johns, every fashion niche has its devotees, I suppose.
Come get your kicks, on route stitchity-stitch!

]]> http://www.geezersisters.com/writing/fascinating-and-i-should-know/comment-page-1#comment-5886 JWP Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:45:40 +0000 http://www.geezersisters.com/?p=2570#comment-5886 Winston, have you thought of becoming a social psychologist?  We have done this very thing in terms of the ways playwrights and screenwriters write dialogue for men versus women.  Turns out most authors tend to write characters of the opposite sex a lot like their own sex.  Shakespeare's Juliet uses language like a guy; Nora Ephron's men talk like women.   Maybe really honest authors have their lying characters speak in an honest way.  Who knows?  But it's a great question.   Oh, and Ruth isn't nearly as neurotic as she aspires to be and she looks fabulous in long-johns.   Winston, have you thought of becoming a social psychologist?  We have done this very thing in terms of the ways playwrights and screenwriters write dialogue for men versus women.  Turns out most authors tend to write characters of the opposite sex a lot like their own sex.  Shakespeare’s Juliet uses language like a guy; Nora Ephron’s men talk like women.
 
Maybe really honest authors have their lying characters speak in an honest way.  Who knows?  But it’s a great question.
 
Oh, and Ruth isn’t nearly as neurotic as she aspires to be and she looks fabulous in long-johns.
 

]]> http://www.geezersisters.com/writing/fascinating-and-i-should-know/comment-page-1#comment-5883 Winston Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:33:54 +0000 http://www.geezersisters.com/?p=2570#comment-5883 Ruth, perhaps the above answer <em>IS</em> a defense, yes, sort of, maybe.   Dr. Pennebaker, What we need to do is comb through literature, classical and popular, and find examples of literary characters who lie, with a control group made up of characters from the same works who speak honestly.  The results might also tell us about authors: are some more proficient at creating a liar than others?  Does an author's style have anything to do with convincing the reader? Ruth, perhaps the above answer IS a defense, yes, sort of, maybe.
 
Dr. Pennebaker,
What we need to do is comb through literature, classical and popular, and find examples of literary characters who lie, with a control group made up of characters from the same works who speak honestly.  The results might also tell us about authors: are some more proficient at creating a liar than others?  Does an author’s style have anything to do with convincing the reader?

]]> http://www.geezersisters.com/writing/fascinating-and-i-should-know/comment-page-1#comment-5882 ruthpennebaker Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:56:23 +0000 http://www.geezersisters.com/?p=2570#comment-5882 <p>I expected a defense of my not being neurotic and long-johned.</p> I expected a defense of my not being neurotic and long-johned.

]]> http://www.geezersisters.com/writing/fascinating-and-i-should-know/comment-page-1#comment-5881 JWP Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:53:14 +0000 http://www.geezersisters.com/?p=2570#comment-5881 Winston, you ask a good question.  In general, we do a reasonably good job at telling the difference between lying and truth-telling and between fiction and nonfiction. I'm guessing that there are some features of language that can distinguish lies from fiction as well.  The art form is to find lies (especially malicious ones) that have the same narrative structure as fiction so that we can have a good head-to-head comparison.   So the answer is yes, sort of, maybe. Winston, you ask a good question.  In general, we do a reasonably good job at telling the difference between lying and truth-telling and between fiction and nonfiction. I’m guessing that there are some features of language that can distinguish lies from fiction as well.  The art form is to find lies (especially malicious ones) that have the same narrative structure as fiction so that we can have a good head-to-head comparison.
 
So the answer is yes, sort of, maybe.

]]> http://www.geezersisters.com/writing/fascinating-and-i-should-know/comment-page-1#comment-5880 Winston Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:51:56 +0000 http://www.geezersisters.com/?p=2570#comment-5880 Thanks for sharing.  Interesting to know how Dr. Pennebaker amuses himself when not babysitting his neurotic,  long-johned wife.   I wonder, can this software detect the difference between lying and fiction? Thanks for sharing.  Interesting to know how Dr. Pennebaker amuses himself when not babysitting his neurotic,  long-johned wife.
 
I wonder, can this software detect the difference between lying and fiction?

]]> http://www.geezersisters.com/writing/fascinating-and-i-should-know/comment-page-1#comment-5876 Craig Sun, 14 Feb 2010 03:31:24 +0000 http://www.geezersisters.com/?p=2570#comment-5876 When he accepts that MacCarthur grant I can say I knew him when he was just a mere  juvenile delinquent When he accepts that MacCarthur grant I can say I knew him when he was just a mere  juvenile delinquent

]]> http://www.geezersisters.com/writing/fascinating-and-i-should-know/comment-page-1#comment-5874 Kate Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:04:25 +0000 http://www.geezersisters.com/?p=2570#comment-5874 Very cool indeed. Apparently I'm very angry on my Twitter posts and "valley girtl". Who knew?  (actually, it's spot on). Very cool indeed. Apparently I’m very angry on my Twitter posts and “valley girtl”. Who knew?  (actually, it’s spot on).

]]> http://www.geezersisters.com/writing/fascinating-and-i-should-know/comment-page-1#comment-5873 TexasDeb Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:20:38 +0000 http://www.geezersisters.com/?p=2570#comment-5873 Do they have a tool to analyze blog posts yet? Do they have a tool to analyze blog posts yet?

]]>