7.15.2008

How to write with style

Kurt Vonnegut wrote a lovely essay on style. Why should you read it? I'll let him answer:

Why should you examine your writing style with the idea of improving it? Do so as a mark of respect for your readers, whatever you're writing. If you scribble your thoughts any which way, your readers will surely feel that you care nothing about them. They will mark you down as an egomaniac or a chowderhead --- or, worse, they will stop reading you.

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8.16.2007

The Economist style guide available online

I was reading last week's Economist on the metro and noted that they've published their style guide online. I'm fond of their clear, pithy style, especially after a day of reading legalese. More modern and accessible than Strunk & White, it should serve you well in all your writing.

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1.18.2007

Short Stories

John Collier's The Chaser, in which a young man learns the relative price of love and death.

Herman Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener, a tale of maddening politeness in the office.

Enjoy.

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