my greatest language grievances yesterday, at his Illinois
the resulting confusion and lack of clarity. (“When Taking
March 6, 2006). Evan stresses how pronoun prolixity can
foil comprehension, confound judges, and prevent the effec-
tive use of depositions for impeaching witnesses.
We all love quoting our Contracts professors, and Evan
tells us that his would often turn red in the face and
sputter:
“questionDudeS” “They! Who’s they? He? Who’s he?
Quit using pronouns!”
The f/k/a Gang thinks pronouns used promiscuously are a
bane outside the legal context as well. Perhaps your Editor
is simply working with too few pronoun-oriented synapses
this decade, but it seems to me that, more and more often,
I need to interrupt a conversation and ask for directions back
to the person being denoted by a pronoun. Even if doing so
makes people say, “stop being such a lawyer,” I plan to
fight for fewer pronouns and clearer communication.
they say
he’s married to her –
we wonder to whom
High school language-arts teacher Tom Painting
certainly knows how to keep his pronouns under control
graveside
the mourners stand
in a wintry mix
deep winter
I search the lease
for a loophole
solstice
after a long walk
I shake off the snow
“graveside” – frogpond (XXIX: 1, Winter 2006)
Who’s on 1st? I bet Tom’s thoughts are turning to
baseball these days. Here are some of his poems on the topic:
moths circle
the stadium lights
seventh inning stretch
all day rain
on the playing field
a stray dog
the toddler
runs to third base
first
bases loaded
a full moon clears
the right field fence
the foul ball lands
in an empty seat
summer’s end
“the toddler” & “all day rain” – from the haiku chapbook piano practice
“the foul balls lands”- Modern Haiku 35.2 ; spiess comp. hon. mention (2004)
