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On Fleetwood Mac

 Anne Lamott has a new book out, a book on writing. Her main observation is that writing should not sound literary. If it "sounds lyrical," it's bad writing.


The hard work is to *sound* conversational, while conveying deep thought.

Can you hear me calling out your name?
You know that I'm falling, and I don't know what to say.
I'll speak a little louder, I'll even shout--
You know that I'm proud, and I can't get the words out.

My personal obsession is with song lines in which a speaker interrupts herself and reverses course. "If I was a sculptor -- but then again, no -- a man who makes potions in a traveling show...." Christine McVie includes *two* versions of herself: the bold exhibitionist and the suffering wallflower. This is a way of signaling an internal conflict.

Something's happening...happening to me.
My friends say I'm acting peculiarly.
Come on, baby; we better make a start.
You better make it soon before you break my heart.

This is a case of zeugma: when one word is used in two different ways. "It's a small room. I just have space to lay my things and a few friends." "Make a start; make it soon." It's a tiny detail -- but it helps the lyrics to "pop."

This is a short, flawless piece of work.

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