Writer's Block

There are exceptions to every rule — the English language is full of them — but that little truism does not settle the debate on the use (or lack thereof) of proper grammar in advertising. Do you stand on the prescriptive or descriptive side of the fence? Tracey Pomerinke returns with this issue’s Feature article and more on the language of advertising. Newcomer to WB Thom Barker offers his insight and experience with the pragmatism that drives writers to pursue a fallback career.

	“Waaaaasssssuuup” with Advertising? Writer Tracy Pomerinke looks at ad copy that breaks the rules — of grammar, that is.
	Writing without a Net From dreamer to self-defeatist, Thom Barker describes the writer's metamorphosis and the self-fulfilling prophecy of failure underlying the pursuit of the fallback career.
	Corporate Writers — Being Invisible Has Its Advantages Corporate writers are the creative force behind much of the written material that companies and government organizations produce, but they rarely receive published credit for their work. Peter Zvalo explores the notion of “authorship” in the context of corporate writing, as well as the benefits of being “invisible.”
	Journalism: Truth or Dare? Contributing Editor Lorie Boucher reviews Ian Hargreaves's book on how "journalism" became a dirty word and what's in store for the future of news media.
	More Shocking than Awing Miss Hoopty blows a fuse.