Comments on: A vs. The: Who Wins? (A Smith Weds The Struth) http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/ You just go on your nerve. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:16:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: dexter http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10267 dexter Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:37:36 +0000 http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10267 the next day mr. struth receives a very favorable review of his show at marian goodman in the new york times. http://tinyurl.com/38ecql "the" publicist for "the" photographer is working overtime. the next day mr. struth receives a very favorable review of his show at marian goodman in the new york times.

http://tinyurl.com/38ecql

“the” publicist for “the” photographer is working overtime.

]]> By: Jen Bekman http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10191 Jen Bekman Mon, 09 Apr 2007 18:23:59 +0000 http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10191 I highly doubt it was a typo or a misplaced photo credit. I highly doubt it was a typo or a misplaced photo credit.

]]> By: Simone http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10185 Simone Mon, 09 Apr 2007 18:07:52 +0000 http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10185 Maybe "the" photographer took the photo of "a" writer, and was being credited both as the groom and as the photographer? Maybe “the” photographer took the photo of “a” writer, and was being credited both as the groom and as the photographer?

]]> By: marvelgirl http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10183 marvelgirl Mon, 09 Apr 2007 17:49:51 +0000 http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10183 umm...maybe it was just a typo... umm…maybe it was just a typo…

]]> By: Jen Bekman http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10179 Jen Bekman Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:51:38 +0000 http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10179 Yea, I mean in most circles Struth is far better know that Bray Smith is, but geez, the way that sentence is constructed is downright insulting. I'm with Danielle - why couldn't they just use the same article? Or say "... Bray Smith, author of the memoir <i>West of Then</i>, married the photographer Thomas Struth... There had to be a more elegant solution, or at least one that didn't imply in such a glaring way that a nobody was marrying a somebody. I'm sure little thought went into it, but I'm glad to hear that the distinction jumped out at other people too. It was jarring. Yea, I mean in most circles Struth is far better know that Bray Smith is, but geez, the way that sentence is constructed is downright insulting. I’m with Danielle - why couldn’t they just use the same article? Or say “… Bray Smith, author of the memoir West of Then, married the photographer Thomas Struth…

There had to be a more elegant solution, or at least one that didn’t imply in such a glaring way that a nobody was marrying a somebody.

I’m sure little thought went into it, but I’m glad to hear that the distinction jumped out at other people too. It was jarring.

]]> By: Todd W. http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10178 Todd W. Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:36:52 +0000 http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10178 I saw that yesterday and was so struck by the "a" vs "the" that I had to read the whole thing out loud to my wife. I would suppose the unsaid part of the sentence is "a writer you've mnever heard of" marries "the photographer that many of you have". Struth is not so famous as to have household name recognition, but I doubt had Smith married a newly minted Yale MFA that she would have gotten the "the". The real scandal here is the photograph that accompanied the announcement. It's Thomas Struth for goodness sake - that was the best he could come up with?! It almost looks like a self-portrait-by-cameraphone. I'm often surprised at the casual quality of photographs some of these couples submit for the <i>Times</i>. Sometimes you wonder if the couple sent in a photo from the drunken cruise they first met on. I saw that yesterday and was so struck by the “a” vs “the” that I had to read the whole thing out loud to my wife. I would suppose the unsaid part of the sentence is “a writer you’ve mnever heard of” marries “the photographer that many of you have”. Struth is not so famous as to have household name recognition, but I doubt had Smith married a newly minted Yale MFA that she would have gotten the “the”.

The real scandal here is the photograph that accompanied the announcement. It’s Thomas Struth for goodness sake - that was the best he could come up with?! It almost looks like a self-portrait-by-cameraphone.

I’m often surprised at the casual quality of photographs some of these couples submit for the Times. Sometimes you wonder if the couple sent in a photo from the drunken cruise they first met on.

]]> By: john http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10174 john Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:04:48 +0000 http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10174 If you follow the ultimate quantifier of mass appeal, the Amazon.com Sales Rank, then "the" writer, Tara Bray Smith, is far more popular than the photographer, Thomas Struth. (#87,104 for the paperback version of "West of Then" versus #580,901 for "Thomas Struth: 1977-2002.") If you follow the ultimate quantifier of mass appeal, the Amazon.com Sales Rank, then “the” writer, Tara Bray Smith, is far more popular than the photographer, Thomas Struth. (#87,104 for the paperback version of “West of Then” versus #580,901 for “Thomas Struth: 1977-2002.”)

]]> By: Danielle Scruggs http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10156 Danielle Scruggs Mon, 09 Apr 2007 05:50:16 +0000 http://www.personism.com/2007/04/08/a-vs-the-who-wins/#comment-10156 I was trying to remember if the AP Style Guide ever covered something like this but my mind's coming up blank. I think maybe the writer was more familiar with Struth and figures Struth's done more in his career. So that's why he's the photographer and she's a writer. I'm just hazarding a guess. Personally, I would just use the same article. Either they're both the's or the both a's. I love your blog, by the way. This is my first time commenting but I've been reading it for a while and you always come up with really interesting posts. I was trying to remember if the AP Style Guide ever covered something like this but my mind’s coming up blank. I think maybe the writer was more familiar with Struth and figures Struth’s done more in his career. So that’s why he’s the photographer and she’s a writer. I’m just hazarding a guess. Personally, I would just use the same article. Either they’re both the’s or the both a’s.

I love your blog, by the way. This is my first time commenting but I’ve been reading it for a while and you always come up with really interesting posts.

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