Last night I officially became someone who complains to newspapers about really quite minor points in their articles. Having read a piece in the travel section of the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday about hiking on the Hebridean island of Islay, I noticed that the author described the glens as 'the epitome of Shakespeare's "green and pleasant land".' So I actually emailed the author (who does the job I want, so no jealousy or anything) and pointed out that not only were they not Shakespeare's words (they were Blake's, as if you didn't know, after the Ashes last year), but that it was specifically a reference to England and not Scotland. Of course I did also say that I really enjoyed the article (and I did, despite the errors) and that I really wanted to go hiking in the Hebrides (which I do, despite the midges). I laughed at myself as I sent the email - am I really that person, do I really complain to newspapers, pointing out the little slips of hardworking hacks? It's a slippery slope, and I don't want to become Lynne Truss. Maybe I just wanted to make sure that his audience, who are American, are not misled by literary quotations, and do not go around calling Scotland 'England' (as people sometimes do; there are those who don't think there's a difference). Well, he replied, next day. He said he'd actually had that pointed out to him already, and that he hadn't meant to make that slip - he was confusing it with the 'Sceptred Isle' speech in Richard II (again, though, that was a speech about England, not Scotland). He did recommend I go to the Hebrides (well, he told me to take a hike...only joking) as it is spectacular - and green, and pleasant. Fair enough. It was nice of him to respond. Anyway, he told me that the Chronicle had actually printed a note today to correct the error! You too can change the world.
"...in scotland's green and pleasant land" (W Shakespeare)
5.8.06 02:08
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Red Queen / Website (6.8.06 17:45) I too want to go for a hike in Islay. I think I'll jump on the ferry first thing tomorrow morning, instead of the bus, and telephone work to say I got confused. Actually, the midges haven't been quite themselves the last fortnight... |
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petescully / Website (6.8.06 21:11) My experience of the midges was in Cumbria, hiking for a couple of weeks when I was but 17. At least they don't have West Nile virus, though. |
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heather / Website (7.8.06 09:12) I think that if someone is employed to write about facts then they should be able to check their facts or have an editor who can check them. Incidentally, my German friend was astounded when she discovered that Wales was a country and not an English 'Canton'. |
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petescully / Website (7.8.06 16:44) Yes, getting people to understand that England and Scotland are countries, not 'provinces' or 'states' or 'territories' is a task here too. One argument during the World Cup was because someone said that it was ok to say 'Britain' when talking of the 'England' football team, because they 'represent the whole country', even though only English people can represent England (except for Owen Hargreaves, of course). I had to draw a map on my whiteboard, with flags and historical dates and other interesting trivia such as the first international football match and what not, but to little avail. Sometimes it is as though if something does not fit with one country's view of the world, such as America's, then it must be incorrect. But that's another entry... |
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