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Episode 1608

In the Ballpark

Novelist Charles Dickens and the musician Prince were very different types of artists, but they also had a lot in common. A new book chronicling their extraordinary careers becomes a larger meditation on perfectionism and creativity itself. Plus...

Prince and Dickens

Author Nick Hornby is an ardent fan of both the novelist Charles Dickens and the musician Prince. In Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius (Bookshop|Amazon), Hornby shows that those two very different men actually had a lot in common...

Poetry Improves Writing

Can reading poetry make you a better writer? The way poetry pushes up against the rules of grammar makes it a great teacher even for the writing of standard prose. And while plenty of poems are best comprehended by the wise and mature, hip-hop is a...

ill na na

ill na na  adj.—Gloss: very good. “Ill” is old-fashioned hip-hop slang meaning good or great, “na na” is a euphemism for the vagina. Note: Probably from a 1996 Foxy Brown album Ill Na Na. «If you are an existing...

gorgeois

gorgeois  adj.— «The message came from a friend on the West Coast: “What’s up, gorgeois?” Confused, we called our friend back, only to learn the word is enjoying a moment in the stylist lexicon. It has even eclipsed genius...

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