Paragraphs

~ Geoff Stamper

Okay, I am finally ready to try a post with paragraphs. This first humorous paragraph is about a pair of graphs. The first graph measured body parts of a giraffe with a two foot long heart that weighed twenty five pounds, lungs that could hold 12 gallons of air, and a tongue twenty inches long. The second graph measured a giraffe with lower numbers but a better personality. I do not know if either giraffe survived the measuring process.

My second paragraph introduces Perry and Polly Graf. Their son Paul became Pals Graf due to an unfortunate typographical error in a telegraphed birth announcement by the Long Island Railroad Company that spawned a famous 1928 lawsuit.

My third paragraph ties everything together with Pals Graf’s favorite Dwight Yoakum song Waterfall. Two of the stanzas begin with the words: “If I had a big giraffe.” Some have misunderstood this lyric and consider it too graphic. Yeah, this paragraph style does not really help.

34 thoughts on “Paragraphs”

  5. Facetious on its face but witness the end result. A clever bit that, had it been one of your usual wall of text would have fallen flat. I read recently about how being clever with form, often as a result of some passive aggressive desire to “do it my way” just to prove to someone we can, often destroys the impact, the weight of the content. Air gives readers a chance to grasp a thought and follow through to the next one, on to a conclusion without digging it out like some words with meaning archeologist
    But screw that academic version, dig this. WouldyoulistentomusicthatneverbreathedneverletuplikescalerunningjazzforeverorwouldyoulikealittlemelodysomethingIadmitisdifficulttofindinaworldofclipartdancemusicbutconsiderhowiftheguywhowroteSomewhereOvertheRainbowjustbarfedabunchofinksplatteronmanuscriptpaperwhatalossthatwouldhavebeen.
    If you’d rather everyone had to dig for it think how many won’t. Think about how many people get to page 100 of “Suicide Squeeze” and give up waiting for fewer people with names to do something besides go to baseball games. You deserve to come off the page instead of turning your writing into wallpaper, all I’m sayin’

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      2. Not sure why. A college English professor called me impertinent. The Compensation Manager at my work responded to a question I asked in a public forum as “cute” in a non flattering way. I think you are very talented and give great advice without sugar coating. You sent me back to Suicide Squeeze (it’s works better for display and not reading!) to look at how I handled paragraphs. I was shocked to find no space between paragraphs, only indentations. I guess my editor and/or publisher thought it saved space. I could have used you as editor back then! I am definitely “too old.”

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Indentation is the accepted format in books. Or was. What your editor missed is space and something like *** or even a new short chapter when you jump scene. Couple liked to gave me whiplash!

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment