Life — August 29, 1912 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Those New Verbal Wrinkles" and "The Point of View" This page contains two separate pieces: **Top cartoon**: A decorative header showing people at desks labeled with letters, illustrating writing or literary work. **"Those New Verbal Wrinkles"**: A poem by Willis Leonard Clanahan advising writers against using outdated clichés. It specifically warns against phrases like "blushed," "went crimson," "paled," "turned pale," and "went white" when describing female characters' emotional reactions. The satire targets overworn Victorian literary conventions that Life's audience would recognize as tired, melodramatic writing. **"The Point of View"**: A sketch depicting an automobile driving through mountainous countryside, with a farmer commenting on the "flat, uninteresting region" as seen from the car. The cartoon satirizes how technology (automobiles) changes perspective—literally and figuratively—altering how people experience landscape.