Charlie Huston's Blog, page 74

"There’s an old writer’s adage: keep your hero in trouble."

““There’s an old writer’s adage: keep your hero in trouble.””

-

David McCullough (via theparisreview)

Yep. That works,

whatthezeitgeistwants:Bovine pericardium is received in whole...

whatthezeitgeistwants:

Bovine pericardium is received in whole sacs from government-inspected abattoirs.

That’s what the PDF from the aortic valve manufacturer says, when you read it in the waiting room, waiting for the patient to wake up.

The smiling elven surgeon wears a beanie covered in brightly colored chili peppers. He says how aortic valves, when you get to open one up and see it with your own eyes, look like gossamer wings, or the wings of dragonflies. Translucent.

Have you ever...

Europe, Facing Economic Pain, May Ease Climate Rules

Europe, Facing Economic Pain, May Ease Climate Rules:

The European Union proposed to end binding national targets for renewable energy production, substituting a goal likely to be much harder to enforce.

Europe: ”Ahhhhrrrgh! I’m so pissed at my face!”

Europe’s Nose: ”No, no! Don’t cut me off!”

Europe: ”Sorry, nose, but my face has me so filled with spite, something has to be done!”

SFX: SLICE…

Europe’s Nose: ”Ahhhaaaaiiiieeeee…”

Silence

Europe looks at self in mirror.

Europe: ”Well, I showed you, stu...

spaceplasma:Meteor Seen from the International Space...

spaceplasma:

Meteor Seen from the International Space Station

The term meteor actually refers to the streak of light caused by a piece of space debris burning up in the atmosphere. The pieces of debris are called meteoroids, and remnants of the debris that reach Earth’s surface (or another planet’s) are called meteorites.

When a small ­meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it goes from traveling through a vacuum to traveling through air. Traveling through a vacuum is effortless — it takes n...

Great Moments in Dashboard Confluence.Props, as always, to Matt...

Great Moments in Dashboard Confluence.

Props, as always, to Matt Fraction.

explore-blog:To celebrate their 100-year anniversary,...

explore-blog:

To celebrate their 100-year anniversary, theAmerican Film Instituteselected the 100 most memorable quotes from American cinema and Nathan Yau visualized them in minimalist graphics. Yau is the author of Visualize This, an excellent guide to telling stories with data.

Pair with David Byrne on how to be an educated consumer of infographics.

Finally found my outfit for the prom.

Finally found my outfit for the prom.

Not as a writer, but as a reader, what do you look for the most in a story?

Honesty

Balls

Surprise

"Fantasy is nearer to poetry, to mysticism, and to insanity than naturalistic fiction is. It is a..."

“Fantasy is nearer to poetry, to mysticism, and to insanity than naturalistic fiction is. It is a real wilderness, and those who go there should not feel too safe.”

- Ursula K. LeGuin (via ce-douglas)

theparisreview:If you must transpose real people into...

theparisreview:

If you must transpose real people into fictional avatars, heed Christopher Isherwood’s advice: “You can question their morals, call them liars, expose them as thieves—as long as you describe them as attractive.”

For more of this morning’s roundup, click here.

Pictured: Dr. Joseph Bell, the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes.