A Pox on Bores

Sparkling conversation is the goal of any soiree. Too often, though, gatherings that could be enlightening and exciting degenerate into exchanges of complaints, diagnoses, prognoses, and travel bragging.

Boring!

In Mark Edmundson's article "Enough Already," he voices his feelings and ideas about bores, with examples and some suggestions about the bore's motivation.

"How are you?" - this question can ignite a firestorm of information, from the full life story, to the list of past and future travel destinations. Not interesting for a soiree!

Edmundson says interesting things about bores. That's good for a soiree!

Mark Edmundson is professor of English at the University of Virginia.

I would like to invite Mark Edmundson to my soiree.