Stories by Brenda Looper

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: On criticism Criticism is one of those things that comes with being part of the human race. The way we respond can define who we are.We're all at least a little thin-skinned at times; it can hurt when someone ... January 19, 2022

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Artificial selection Evolution isn't only a biological process. It happens with just about everything: technology, education, medicine ... and language.I see most linguistic evolution as wholly natural. Meanings may b... January 12, 2022

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Be gone with you! A little cold/sinusitis made my New Year's weekend a bit more subdued than usual (so practically asleep). For one thing, you can't add much pepper to the Hoppin' John because it doesn'... January 5, 2022

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Wish upon a year Longtime readers know I don't make New Year's resolutions. I make more than enough promises to myself that I don't keep already.I do, however, have hopes for a few things to happen in the ... December 29, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Christmas present Editor's note: The original version of this column was published in December 2019, months after I'd lost my mom. Having just lost my brother and with the pandemic continuing, it seems appropri... December 22, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: No loss for words There's been a bit too much stress in my life lately, from my brother's recent death to an upcoming surgery for me. Sunday, there was an update to my tablet's operating system that rendere... December 15, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: A shot at fame If you thought that this year's "words of the year" would give you a break from the pandemic ... ha!I'm starting to think this thing will never end ... at least not until about half ... December 8, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Burning question It never fails after a Word Nerd column that readers and friends will contribute more words and phrases for me to enjoy, muse over and research. My column from a couple of weeks ago about words and ph... December 1, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Gratitude attitude Tomorrow, American families will gather together to give thanks for their blessings. Some, like me, will prepare dinner for one (chicken and dressing, keeping it simple) and keep in touch with family ... November 24, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Well, I swan! If there's anything my brother Corey and I loved more than our family, I don't know what it would be.Well, maybe words would come close, but still, family comes out on top.Corey was a storytel... November 17, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Good grief The best of humanity comes out when you're facing the loss of a beloved family member many years before you should. The worst also comes out in those who are not content unless they're complaining and... November 10, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: One last shot I would give anything not to be writing this column right now. On Friday, my plans were to write on political extremism, and had picked the political cartoon on the page to match. My brother who had ... November 3, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Drawing a line I've never been much of a fan of social media. It wasn't until last July that I finally joined Facebook, only to find that the person who induced me to do so was a scammer I met through my team in a g... October 27, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: The fear factor If it's October, that must mean it's time for me to talk about fear again. Not goblins and ghouls or other Halloween-y things, but about those things so many of us share on social media and elsewhere.... October 20, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Check the facts For me, last week's Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp/Messenger outage was much ado about nothing. I do feel sorry for those businesses that rely on Facebook, but for everyone else, it should have been a w... October 13, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Pronoun poser You might remember that a couple of weeks ago, the Word Nerd asked for your help on a query from a reader: "'Pronoun Challenged' sent me a note: 'I have a teenage relative who has decided that she is... October 6, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Comfort in words I've been a mite cranky lately; I'd be the first to admit that. Between some people insisting that their rights supersede everyone else's, people acting like jerks, and a couple of medical issues, I'... September 22, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Needless cruelty There are times I have to cut myself off from the world. Usually that means I settle in for a "Doctor Who" marathon. In those episodes, amid the humor and sometimes trite storylines, I find something... September 15, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Lasting impact On Saturday, it will have been 20 years. Twenty years since the Tuesday morning that I stood in the newsroom, watching with 10 or so other Democrat-Gazette colleagues as the newsroom televisions show... September 8, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: The bell tolls There's a lot I don't understand. How humans can be so cruel to each other. Why anyone would believe that their rights trump those of everyone else. But I think one thing above all confounds me: trol... September 1, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Nope, not enough It was about 8:45 Monday morning when an alert from The Washington Post came across my email: "FDA grants full approval to Pfizer- BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, potentially persuading the hesitant to ... August 25, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: A tangled Web The Internet is a wondrous place. You can read blogs, newspapers and magazines from all over the world. You can feed nostalgia and find replacements for items you lost, like that old Fisher-Price "rad... August 18, 2021

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Risks versus benefits | Lost nation's lullaby | Exercise her freedom Risks versus benefits The controversy over whether to vaccinate or not has been made such a hot political football that many people are confused, and it is no wonder with the information seeming to c... August 17, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Luck of the draw I'm not superstitious. I am a little stitious.--Michael Scott, "The Office" I was born on the 13th of January; unfortunately, it was a Monday, not a Friday like what we have coming in just a couple o... August 11, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Take a break Last week was tough. There was the unrelenting heat, which made opening the door (at least for those of us not in love with summer) a journey to the hottest reaches of hell, and stretched people and ... August 4, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Didn't have to be It's been a long while since I've watched the Olympics. I was always more of a fan of the Winter Games, mainly because I love watching ice skating and skiing. But the Summer Olympics ... well, it's s... July 28, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Part of the whole With fellow logophile Bernadette Kinlaw now gone from this newspaper's pages, it seems it falls to me to fly the Word Nerd banner alone. (By the way, best of luck to Bernadette in her new job!) It's ... July 21, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: As a mule Stubbornness is a trait well-represented in my family by the confluence of at least three bloodlines (two from my mom's side, and one from my dad's). It comes in rather handy when standing up for prin... July 14, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Under the bridge It's hard sometimes not to be baffled by some reactions to one's own writing. Honest criticism is welcomed, gladly. Glowing reviews are accepted, usually sheepishly. But when certain people consisten... July 7, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Employ reason I don't often rant or rave unless it's something that truly matters. You know, like getting vaccinated and/or wearing masks to protect yourself and others against a disease that, if it doesn't kill yo... June 30, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Good vibrations The heat has not been kind to me, not that I'm all that kind to it. Between grocery mishaps, phishing texts and emails and a badly overgrown yard, I'm more than a little cranky. But ... There is kin... June 23, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: As the crank turns Did I ever like summer in Arkansas? Right now, I'm not so sure, and it's not even officially summer yet. When I was a kid, there were things that made it not seem so bad: Vacation Bible School, July ... June 16, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Focus on works I'm admittedly torn about statues in public spaces. When it comes to those of ordinary people and/or historic events, such as my friend John Deering's "Testament," depicting the Little Rock Nine, I'm... June 9, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: On patriotism On Memorial Day, I always think of my grandpa and my uncle, though they didn't have to sacrifice their lives in battle. Both served in the Navy, my grandpa during World War II as a fireman on the hosp... May 26, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Get a gripe We all have them in our lives: relatives, friends, acquaintances or even strangers who are happiest when they're making others miserable by complaining ... about anything. Everyone in my family knows... May 19, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Hit or myth Myths die hard. Too hard nowadays. I'm not talking about Greek or Roman or Norse mythology and all those misbehaving gods. Talking about Loki (the mythic version or the Marvel one portrayed by Tom Hi... May 12, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Still the same This time next week, I'll be on my third day in the office after more than a year of working remotely. There will still be days I'll need to do some work at home, but for the most part I imagine life ... April 28, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Fulfill your duty I get a distinct “Braveheart” vibe any time I read the comments under posts about covid-19 vaccination. Many of these people probably fancy themselves as William Wallace with all their shouting about ... April 21, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: On the watch Like a lot of introverts, I tend toward observation more than participation. Those days on the school playground early on when I hadn't made many connections with classmates, I watched, noting how kid... April 7, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Break some rules Having been a writer and editor for some years now, I'm often asked for guidance on grammar, sometimes because of something that appeared in the news sections. I only deal with the opinion pages, and... March 31, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: A bit peevish If you're ever in need of writing material, ask a group of writers and editors their pet peeves. You'll end up with enough material to fill a book. (I did it this time because I scheduled Tuesday off... March 24, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Such blarney! Legend has it that those who kiss the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle in County Cork, Ireland, are blessed with the gift of eloquence. You won't see this Arkansas girl kissing it, though, because, fo... March 17, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Augurs of doom March 4 came and went and, luckily, nothing happened. There was no inauguration of Donald Trump as the 19th (??) president, but because of the threat of QAnon and militia adherents descending again on... March 10, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Back to reality When I was in junior high, a group of my friends told me I never smiled. Considering some of them were among those who said I spoiled a class picture with my too-wide grin, I was wary, but it still bu... February 24, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: To coin a phrase As I sit here Monday waiting for the next rejiggering of my grocery delivery (at this moment it's supposed to be by 3:15 p.m.; it was originally between 9 and 11 a.m.) and tucked under an electric bla... February 17, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Turn of phrase There are many times I curse Facebook and the former friend who got me to finally sign up for it, but there are just as many times that it's brought me laughs, comfort and column ideas. Facebook frie... February 10, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Just the facts It's been too long since I last talked about fact-checking. Dealing with the aftermath of a disputed election and a failed insurrection can be a bit distracting. But yeah, it didn't take long for the ... January 27, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Consequence time Technology helps us with so much, especially during a pandemic. It enables some of us to work from home when needed. It lets us see and talk to friends and family we've not been able to see in person ... January 20, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Birthday wishes Every five years or so, I get to write on my birthday, and today, I'm making some birthday wishes. I mean, other than my usual requests of cat photos, jokes, chocolate and world peace (I never get tha... January 13, 2021

OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: Word of dishonor I hear there's some big to-do going on in D.C. today with potential for both horror and hilarity. So yeah, I'm just gonna ignore that for now, and instead talk about what makes word-nerd hearts flutte... January 6, 2021