BOOKMAKING

The third annual international academic Bad Writing Contest --sponsored by the journal Philosophy and Literature, which is published by Johns Hopkins University -- has been won by FredericJameson, an English professor at Duke University.

More than 70 submissions were received via e-mail and through Phil-Lit, an Internet discussion group. The journal's editor, DenisDutton, said the trend toward gibberish in scholarly writing has beenencouraged by departments of cultural and media studies.

The prize-winning entry originally appeared on the first page ofJameson's book "Signatures of the Visible" (Routledge). As reprintedin The Manchester Guardian last week, the sentence runs as follows:"The visual is essentially pornographic, which is to say that it hasits end in rapt, mindless fascination; thinking about its attributesbecomes an adjunct to that, if it is unwilling to betray its object;while the most austere films necessarily draw their energy from theattempt to repress their own excess (rather than from the morethankless effort to discipline the viewer)."

Prolixity has long been an enemy of sense, of course. But proofthat nonsense can be economical came from an English don, FrederickBotting, who placed third with this observation on "Frankenstein":"The lure of imaginary totality is momentarily frozen before thedialectic of desire hastens on within symbolic chains."

Entries for next year's Bad Writing Contest may be submitted by e-mail to Denis Dutton at d.dutton(AT SIGNSYMBOL)fina.canterbury.ac.nz. Closing date is Dec. 31.

On this week's literary calendar:

Today: Editor of "Land Ho! 1620," Delores Bird Carpenterautographs at 2 p.m., Barnes & Noble, Route 132, Hyannis. . . .Poetry readings by Jean Hollander, Elizabeth Lund, Vivian Shipley,and Maria Mazziotto-Gillan at the Longfellow Garden, 105 Brattle St.,Cambridge, at 4 p.m.

Tuesday: From 2 to 4 p.m., Mary Higgins Clark signs her suspensenovel "Pretend You Don't See Her," at Yellow Umbrella Books, 501 MainSt., Chatham. . . . Reading at 6 p.m. of "Table-Top Poems" by MarcelK. Troubador at O'Connell Branch, Cambridge Public Library. . . .Naomi Wolf reads from and signs "Promiscuities," at 6 p.m., MezzanineConference Room, Boston Public Library, Copley Square. . . . PatrickRobinson discusses his thriller "Nimitz Class," at 7 p.m., Barnes &Noble, Hyannis. . . . At Barnes & Noble, One Worcester Road,Framingham, Suzanne Gordon discusses her book about nurses, "LifeSupport," at 7:30 p.m. . . . Robert Gerzon speaks about his book"Finding Serenity in an Age of Anxiety," Barnes & Noble, ChestnutHill, at 7:30 p.m. . . . Poetry performance by Rich Boucher at 7:30p.m., Borders, 85 Worcester Road, Framingham.

Wednesday: Eugene Stein reads from his story collection, "Touchand Go," at 7 p.m., Waterstone's, Exeter Street. . . . Dubbed "theRalph Nader of the cosmetics industry," Elaine Brumberg discusses herfourth book, "Ageless," at Borders, Chestnut Hill, at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday: Paul LaViolette discusses and signs "Earth Under Fire,"about the durability of myth, at 12:30 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 395Washington St., Boston. . . . Mystery Night with Linda Fairstein andPhilip Craig at 7:30 p.m., Market Bookshop, Falmouth. . . Joy Jordan-Lake reads at 7:30 at Borders, Chestnut Hill, from her stories, "Grit& Grace." . . . Marie Lee discusses her latest Cape Cod mystery at7:30 p.m., Barnes & Noble, Granite Street, Braintree. . . . SusanWittig Albert signs and discusses her China Bayles mysteries atKate's Mystery Books, 2211 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, at 6 p.m.She also conducts a "writing from life" seminar at Barnes & Noble,Framingham, Saturday at 4 p.m.

Friday: At Market Bookshop, Falmouth, from 7 to 9 p.m., MarkKurlansky discusses his book "The Cod."

Saturday: Author of "The Other Americans," a book aboutimmigration, Joel Millman speaks at Borders, Framingham, at 7 p.m. .. . David Gessner signs "A Wild, Rank Place," at 7 p.m., Barnes &Noble, Hyannis. . . . Boston Globe sports columnist Bob Ryandiscusses his latest book, "The Road to the Super Bowl," at 7:30p.m., Barnes & Noble, Braintree.

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