21 Comments
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Sari Botton's avatar

Love this, especially as someone who has a misattributed quote tattooed on my arm. Lol.

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Jenn Romolini's avatar

omg no way Sari!

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Hooligan's avatar

Is it about a fish 🐠 who thinks it’s a 🍋?

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Jenn Romolini's avatar

excellent call back tho I suspect Sari's tattoos are more elegant/considered than mine!

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Jen Goldman, M.A's avatar

Lol Sari, which one?!

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Sari Botton's avatar

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Misattributed to Anais Nin; actually the words of Elizabeth Appell, a poet/publicist for an adult ed college in the 70s who then went by Lacy Bennett. I found out about this 4 or 5 years after getting inked. wrote about it here: https://lithub.com/its-never-too-late-for-your-first-tattoo/

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Maya's avatar

This resonated. Brought back all of my memories of how good I used to be at throwing in this kind of thing when being interviewed ("You just have to go for it" "Everything has to be done for the first time by someone" "I find that moms just know how to get things done"). It made publications so happy to have a pull quote and regular people so happy to have something to put in quotes when they posted but it was just a bunch of gibberish.

I loved this book, every chapter hit!

My favorite real (I hope!) Eleanor Roosevelt quote: Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.

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Jenn Romolini's avatar

This is exactly what i was talking about!

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1ara's avatar

I work in marketing and do my best to find the lightness in telling our stories vs. trafficking in the dark capitalist shit of the internet and social media. It’s hard!

This whole essay will sit in my tummy all day. You’re a beautiful writer, Jenn.

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Jenn Romolini's avatar

thank you and yes, it IS hard

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Crone Life's avatar

Oooooh—you should’ve left this in! But also excellent as a standalone

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Jenn Romolini's avatar

xo

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Julie's avatar

This one is my favorite: “Write without fear, edit without mercy.” I have the first clause as a tattoo on my arm but didn't learn until recently that it was penned by Tom Albrighton. Who is that you ask? Some copywriter who isn't famous, except for never earning attribution for this quote.

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Jenn Romolini's avatar

this is amazing

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Erin M. Routson's avatar

Darkly laughed at “asset” in quotes

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Jenn Romolini's avatar

I know, right?

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Jen Goldman, M.A's avatar

Love this! Gives me lots of food for thought, will share. Nice to meet you virtually in LWS this morning--Jen:)

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MUTHR, FCKD's avatar

Damn, this brought me back to my "nomenclature consultant" days. Great solve!

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Paul von Zielbauer's avatar

Journalist have no business misattributing quotes. Thank you for writing about this.

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Budget Reboot's avatar

Great piece. How many jobs do you have, Jenn?!

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Jenn Romolini's avatar

hahahah I KNOW — basically, four and then I'm writing a novel in my free time

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