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 Is it true, as Momus
suggests, that there are "few tales which would not be improved by the
addition of the phrase 'suddenly, a shot rang out'"? Decide for
yourself as we alter the opening lines of . . . THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER by Mark Twain "TOM!" No answer. "TOM!" No answer. "What's gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM!" No answer. Suddenly, a shot rang out.
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"[There's] only a very fine line between the ability to concentrate intelligently on an objective and an unhealthy obsession." — Amanda Quick, The Perfect Poison (2009) |
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From Prof. Oddfellow's sketchbook:
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Is it true, as Momus
suggests, that there are "few tales which would not be improved by the
addition of the phrase 'suddenly, a shot rang out'"? Decide for
yourself as we alter the opening lines of . . . THE SATANIC VERSES by Salman Rushdie "To be born again," sang Gibreel Farishta tumbling from the heavens, "first you have to die." Suddenly, a shot rang out.
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Is it true, as Momus
suggests, that there are "few tales which would not be improved by the
addition of the phrase 'suddenly, a shot rang out'"? Decide for
yourself as we alter the opening lines of . . . VALIS by Philip K. DickHorselover Fat's nervous breakdown began the day he got the phonecall from Gloria asking if he had any Nembutols. Suddenly, a shot rang out.
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| The Ghost In The [Scanning] Machine |
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Smart Home Hacks author Gordon Meyer reviews our latest book, The Ghost in the [Scanning] Machine: "It's another amazing work . . .
Conley's union of ghostly images and enigmatic quotations is near
perfect." The label "near perfect" reminds Prof. Oddfellow of the math behind the idiom, "Close, but no cigar":
When graphed, perfection has a cigar shape. Something "near perfect" is, by definition, still flawed. Hence, the idiom, "Close, but no cigar." --- Antonin Artaud writes: These are beautiful. You are a mathematician of literature. There have only been a few Doctors of the Church. Lewis Carroll and Velimir Khlebnikov would love your blog. And your mind.
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Handwriting etiquette calls for a neat dash through misprinted characters. However, several such character obliterations actually form new characters—creation through destruction. Can you dash off the names for each of the would-be transformations below? (Click on the image for answers.) (Dedicated to Gary Barwin and Geof Huth.) --- Geof Huth writes: Craig, thanks for the dedication, of all kinds.
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WAXING GIBBOUS (FUTURE)"Consequently, as the semicolon suggests, their stars are recreated from numbers." —Morse Peckman, Word, Meaning, Poem (1961)
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Is it true, as Momus
suggests, that there are "few tales which would not be improved by the
addition of the phrase 'suddenly, a shot rang out'"? Decide for
yourself as we alter the opening lines of . . . PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Suddenly, a shot rang out.
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From Prof. Oddfellow's sketchbook:
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INSTRUCTIONS: Click on the puzzle image below to reveal one possible solution.
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Page 4174 of 4337
Original Content Copyright © 2026 by Craig Conley. All rights reserved.
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