Visibility and lasting distinction
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
After publication, the editors regarded one contributor as preeminent among the anthology's essayists for the quality of her observations and prose. Another contributor's photograph appeared on nearly every event flyer, giving it a local ubiquity that made it instantly familiar. The group expected publicity to wane after the launch, so it planned later discussions around the writing rather than the posters.
The photograph's ubiquity did not by itself make its subject a preeminent writer. The editors wanted readers to examine the work and reach their own judgments. As attention to the launch began to wane, a smaller reading group continued meeting around individual essays. Familiarity, popularity, and distinction could overlap, but the members learned to explain which quality they meant when praising a contribution.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.