Let’s buy the Review a clue

If you haven’t read the editorial in Wednesday’s Half Moon Bay Review, don’t deny yourself this treat.

From its clumsy headline, "Council continues to be disingenuous", to its awkward setup, "Have you heard the one about the City Council that purchased parkland…", to its ham-fisted punchline, "it’s a pity that we’ve come to the point that the planning process is merely a joke", this unsigned editorial is an unintentionally entertaining window into the thinking behind our local paper. I can see why the word "disingenuous" came to mind.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the author had to squeegee the spittle off their computer screen when he or she was finished.

This isn’t the first time the Review has lost its cool and descended into junior high school snarkiness. In October, publisher Debra Godshall had to have the last word so badly that she responded to a column by city council member (and now mayor) Jim Grady on the opposite page of the same issue with "Grady ends his Matter of Opinion article in today’s paper on Page 5A by saying, "Doesn’t our community deserve better than that?" It does indeed, Jim."

It…does…indeed.

I’ve put together a reading list for the editors of the Review which I hope will improve their editorial-writing skills and knowledge of the dynamics affecting the Coastside. I’ve set it up as an Amazon wish list. You can go online and pay to have these books delivered to Debra Godshall at the Review’s offices. [Amazon.com]

Elements of Style, Strunk and White. Strunk and White admonish us "Do not affect a breezy manner". They would also advise us not to use the word "admonish".

Geography Of Nowhere: The Rise And Decline of America’s Man-Made Landscape, James Howard Kunstler.  This is the book that made me understand what sprawl is and why it’s so awful. It’s a lot like the pill they give Neo in The Matrix—don’t read it if you want to remain contented with your surroundings. Not only is this book enlightening, it’s funny as hell.

On Writing Well, by William Zinsser. The best book ever written on writing nonfiction. This book made me understand why everyone needs an editor—even the editor.

The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs. Fifty years ago, Jane Jacobs explained how cities work, why it matters, and how easy it is to mess them up. It’s still the definitive work on the subject, and informs all modern thought about how we live in built communities.

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, by Robert A. Caro. The astonishing biography of an idealist who tried to make New York into a paradise, only to destroy it with his hubris. This book is a must for anyone who wants to understand how city planning really works.

The Press,  by A.J. Liebling.  This is a great book and I recommend it to everyone. Liebling, who wrote about the press for The New Yorker in the 1940’s, is famous for saying "Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one"— but he also wrote "People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news."  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that this indispensable book is out of print and not in the county library catalog. I’ve added it to the wish list in the hopes that it’ll come back. Liebling lived in an era when newspapers were manifestations of their publishers’ personal prejudices and commercial interests, and it makes you realize that the age of corporate journalism is not an unalloyed disaster.

What books would you add to the Review’s wish list? Add your suggestions to the list by clicking on the comments link.