Aristotle on what is good (Rhetoric, Book 1 - Chapter 6)

The following is a more detailed list of things that must be good.

Happiness, as being desirable in itself and sufficient by itself, and as being that for whose sake we choose many other things.

Also justice, courage, temperance, magnanimity, magnificence, and all such qualities, as being excellences of the soul.

Further, health, beauty, and the like, as being bodily excellences and productive of many other good things: for instance, health is productive both of pleasure and of life, and therefore is thought the greatest of goods, since these two things which it causes, pleasure and life, are two of the things most highly prized by ordinary people.

Wealth, again: for it is the excellence of possession, and also productive of many other good things.

Friends and friendship: for a friend is desirable in himself and also productive of many other good things.

So, too, honour and reputation, as being pleasant, and productive of many other good things, and usually accompanied by the presence of the good things that cause them to be bestowed.

The faculty of speech and action; since all such qualities are productive of what is good.

Further — good parts, strong memory, receptiveness, quickness of intuition, and the like, for all such faculties are productive of what is good.

Similarly, all the sciences and arts.

And life: since, even if no other good were the result of life, it is desirable in itself.

And justice, as the cause of good to the community.

What you can expect to be asked in an interview for an internship in book publishing.

picadorbookroom:

Introducing … Lauren Bisom, Picador Intern

Picador’s fall intern, Lauren Bisom, received her BA in English Literature from UC Santa Barbara (and so far she doesn’t regret trading in her beaches for the teeming sea of yellow taxis). Previously, she’d interned with St. Martin’s Press and Oxford University Press in their marketing departments.

Here are some of the questions we asked Lauren in her interview. We’re pretty sure this is what many aspiring publishing interns can expect in theirs. 

What are you studying now and why did you decide to study it?

I am currently working on my M.S. in Publishing at NYU. With my classes all in the evening, I am surrounded by the book industry from 9am to 9pm. Although I rely on my internships to teach me the more practical side of publishing, my program grants me the opportunity to learn from publishing professional who work in different departments throughout the Big Six. Through them, I am able to better grasp the monumental changes that are occurring throughout the industry and participate in an active discussion on where it is going.

What’s been your favorite class and why?

So far, my favorite class has been Children’s Book Publishing. It was amazing in part because of the subject matter (who doesn’t want to be assigned the latest Caldecott to read for homework?), but also because my instructor, the incredible publisher Justin Chanda of Simon & Schuster Kids, was so passionate. This semester it’s looking to be my Advanced Law Contracts course; for me at least, so much is contingent on an enthusiastic professor.   

If you were to plan a semester within your current area of study, what class would you include?

My program focuses heavily on digital media, marketing, and editing. Currently there are no courses offered in publicity, which seems a bit odd. Also, I find more and more job postings (especially in the area of marketing) require knowledge of CSS and HTML. I wish my program required us to take a class on it the first semester, before we have to start applying for full time positions.

Last few great books you’ve read?

I just finished THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. His entire series set in a fictional, gothic Barcelona is beautifully haunting.

SHINE SHINE SHINE by debut novelist Lydia Netzer defies genre classification.

Out later this month is another debut, STORMDANCER by Jay Kristoff which I loved mostly because it is the first Japanese Steampunk novel that I have ever come across.

And next on my list is Eugenides’ THE MARRIAGE PLOT (which I’m embarrassed I haven’t read yet).

Last literary event you went to and enjoyed? What made it great?

I have recently been to a few Tor.com events, which are conveniently held in the bar beneath my apartment. I love the mix of people that their parties always seem to bring together. Earlier this summer I also attended a reading of comedian Dave Hill’s book TASTEFUL NUDES at McNally Jackson. His friend Ira Glass from NPR’s This American Life interviewed him during the reading. They were hilarious together.

What attracted you to Picador?

Other imprints at Macmillan refer to Picador as the ‘literary’ imprint, which I guess has a romantic appeal to any English major. The fact that NOBODY has a bad word to say about the Picador team, and that I would be able to work with the publicity, marketing, AND editorial departments is also very attractive. I’m most excited for the diversity that this position offers.

What Picador books stood out to you before starting your internship with us?

As I mentioned before, Jeffery Eugenides has been on my to-read list for a while, so I was excited when I found out Picador would be publishing the paperback of THE MARRIAGE PLOT in the fall. I also knew that you publish a range of collected interviews and short stories. Jorge Luis Borges is one of my all-time favorite writers and can be found in a few of your anthologies. THE RED TENT and RUNNING WITH SCISSORS are two other Picador books that I’ve had on my bedroom shelf for years and I relied heavily on Susan Sontag’s ON PHOTOGRAPHY for an academic paper in college.

Stay tuned for more posts from Lauren about her interning experience with Picador.

Your interwebz IRL

Austin Kleon (Steal Like an Artist), Maria Papova (Brainpickings), Maris Kreizman (Slaughterhouse 90210), and Maud Newton (herself) at McNally Jackson talking about creativity in the digital age. [May 30, 2012]

Morning Links

Find Your One Thing Twist Image blog

Can you sum up your professional you in one or two words?

I was very touched watching the documentary, Being Elmo, on PBS‘ Independent Lens. The movie is about Kevin Clash (the puppeteer behind Sesame Street’s Elmo). From a very young age, Clash demonstrated a strong desire to be a puppeteer. While that seems quaint and points to someone who was focused on what they wanted to do in life from a very young age, you can imagine the struggles he faced growing up in Baltimore. While all of the other kids were out playing baseball or causing mischief, Clash was at home sewing puppets together and entertaining the local toddlers.

How to Write about Wittgenstein Chronicle of Higher Ed

It [Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Memoir, by Norman Malcolm, a student of Wittgenstein’s at Cambridge and his lifelong friend] is a small book, published over half a century ago, but its influence would be hard to overstate.  Not many philosophical books have created as many disciples. If philosophers were evangelists (and some are), Malcolm’s memoir would be the Gospel of John, a strange, beautiful little book that you leave in hotel rooms and hand out door to door.  I read it again this week for the first time in many years, and it was still as gripping as I remembered it.  What accounts for its lasting appeal?

‘Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow’ and More Life Advice for Grads From Songs The Atlantic

Graduation can be both exhilarating and frightening—suddenly, for this week’s graduates, the future is a big empty space, just waiting to be filled in. Happily, as ever, there’s at least some solace to be found in music, and there’ve been plenty of great songs written over the years about life and how to live it. So here’s a playlist of some of our favorite tracks with something to say on what life’s all about, and how you go about negotiating your way through it.

Illustration

I love this idea

TOUR SKETCHBOOK

by Austin Kleon

I’ve spent the past three weeks on the Steal Across America tour — other than my iPhone, my sketchbook is the most important thing I carry. I use a large Moleskine sketchbook because it has heavy bristol-like pages that don’t tear, it’s big enough to stick a boarding pass in the pages, and it has an envelope flap in the back for travel receipts.

Austin Kleon’s sketchbook