The word “rhetoric” has a messed-up etymology. It represents the opposite of its original meaning. Aristotle defined the word as “effective writing or speaking”; think Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Yet rhetoric connotes sophistry or “empty” and “phony” words. How can our words reflect true rhetoric rather than sophistry? In a word, sincerity. Read more
I have argued professional writers should avoid self-expression and tread carefully with the use of the first person. That was my case against literary subjectivity. Nobody cares about your childhood, breakfast this morning, or opinions of world affairs, so why write about them on Facebook and T Read more
Writing in the first person can be a wonderful thing. Except when it’s not. Read more
For professional writers who read William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White’s “The Elements of Style,” there is a sad, unsettling reality. The popular writing guide omits the most important writing principle, the superstar principle, the principle that wins you readers and paychecks alike. Read more
On January 22, 1973, Howard Cosell, ABC television’s announcer for the heavyweight-title boxing match between champion Joe Frazier and challenger George Foreman, uttered what may be the most famous line in the sport’s history. “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!” Cosell said after the 214-pound pugilist fell to the canvas in the first round of their bout in Kingston, Jamaica. Read more
It’s tempting to define humor as similar to pornography. You know it when you see it. In fact, humor can be defined more neatly. It upsets the established order. That was George Orwell’s idea. Every joke is a “revolution” or a “temporary rebellion against virtue.” He was right. Read more
Ernest Hemingway’s writing style is always being described as “distinctive” and “muscular.” It’s easy to see why. He avoided adverbs and used strong verbs and short, declarative sentences. How he polished and perfected his style is, as you may imagine, a more difficult question. Read more
For Christmas, my daughters gave me The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry. I was glad they did… Talk about timely and relevant! How better to gain perspective than reading about the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 to 1919? Read more
Even before Donald Trump became president, most Americans said they perceived reporters as biased. Seventy-four percent described news coverage as slanted or prejudicial, according to a July 2016 Pew Research poll. Seventy-four percent! That’s three in four respondents. Read more
