I’m talking to a friend about why I don’t want to post a video questioning Shakespeare’s authorship of his plays on ArtsJournal’s main page ( I mean, how tiresome, give it up for the big guy), and I mention that Shakespeare invented 20,000 new words. Meanwhile, my friend is typing on his cell phone.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m Twittering your comment about 20,000 new words.”
“STOP,” I cried in alarm. “I was just talking.” (Turns out it was 2,000 words, give or take a word here or there.)
The exchange reminds me of this poem by Robert Creeley:
I Know a Man
As I sd to my
friend, because I am
always talking, -- John, I
sd, which was not his
name, the darkness sur-
rounds us, what
can we do against
it, or else, shall we &
why not, buy a goddamn big car,
drive, he sd, for
christ's sake, look
out where yr going.
Oh this one gave me a good belly laugh and some gulping as well. Thanks for posting.