Talking of Titles, or, When Titles Talk Back

Let’s face it: One of the first things which entices you to pick up a book or read a certain article is its title.  A title can make or break a person’s first encounter with a book.  It’s like meeting someone for the first time.  If you were to encounter someone on the street who was wearing ski goggles, a furry parka, rainbow tights, and had a pet monkey on his shoulder…well, you’d probably run away in terror.  But!  You’d want to know his backstory, surely?  Of course you would.

A title does sort of the same thing.  Choosing the right title can make a big difference in the way in which a book is received.  It can evoke certain emotions or make someone interested in the book even if the actual subject matter may not be to their taste.  In fact, the title may be downright misleading (thank you, Naked Lunch), but if it’s creative enough, chances are you’ll at least pick it up and have a look at the back cover.  Here are some of my personal favorite book titles:

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
•   To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler
•  The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin (I swear this is a real book.  I haven’t read it yet, but just for the title alone, I really think I should!)

I could go on and on; titles are just so much fun, not only to read but to create!  I’d assume it’s like naming a baby; a name gives something its whole identity.

Deflowering a Blog Virgin

So, in a way, this whole blog came about because of pole-dancing.  Well, the idea of pole-dancing.  As a form of exercise, not as a profession.  (Not that I'm judging or anything.  Because that would be wrong.)

I'm rambling.  Let me start over.

Last week, I met up with some friends from high school, most of whom I hadn't seen in years.  As we were discussing the goings-on of our daily lives, one person mentioned how she had started taking some pole-dancing lessons, a fun and effective way of staying fit.  Naturally, I was intrigued (though a bit upset to learn that the classes did NOT include getting to wear sparkly, sequined costumes).  But again I digress.

My first thought, after my lamentation over the absence of the aforementioned sparkly number, was that the image of me trying to shimmy up a pole would not only be horrifyingly dangerous, but also insanely hilarious.  Athletic and/or coordinated, I am not.  This, of course, led me to my second thought, which was that trying something like this, whether it be pole-dancing, underwater basket-weaving, sky-diving, etc., would make excellent writing material, especially for the comedic gold it would no doubt supply.  As an aspiring writer, I was ecstatic.  How could I possibly go wrong?  I would go out and try a myriad of different activities, gaining life experience in the process, and then come home and blog about my many foibles, occasionally offering a nugget or two of advice on how (not) to do things.