Description

Book Synopsis
This humorous and accessible classic on style calls for the return of wordplay and delight to writing instruction. Richard Lanham argues that many tomes on writing, with their trio of platitudes-clarity, plainness, sincerity-lie ''upon the spirit like wet cardboard''. People seldom write to be clear. They have designs on their fellow men. Pure prose is as rare as pure virtue, and for the same reasons... The Books (Lanham''s term for misguided composition textbooks), written for a man and world yet unfallen, depict a ludicrous process like this: "I have an idea. I want to present this gift to my fellow man. I fix this thought clearly in mind. I follow the rules. Out comes a prose that gift-wraps thought in transparent paper." If this sounds like a travesty, it''s because it is one. Yet it dominates prose instruction in America.

Style: An Anti-textbook

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    A Paperback / softback by Richard A Lanham

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      Book details

      Publisher Paul Dry Books, Inc
      Published 1 July 2007
      ISBN-13 9781589880320
      978-1589880320
      ISBN-10 1589880323

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      This humorous and accessible classic on style calls for the return of wordplay and delight to writing instruction. Richard Lanham argues that many tomes on writing, with their trio of platitudes-clarity, plainness, sincerity-lie ''upon the spirit like wet cardboard''. People seldom write to be clear. They have designs on their fellow men. Pure prose is as rare as pure virtue, and for the same reasons... The Books (Lanham''s term for misguided composition textbooks), written for a man and world yet unfallen, depict a ludicrous process like this: "I have an idea. I want to present this gift to my fellow man. I fix this thought clearly in mind. I follow the rules. Out comes a prose that gift-wraps thought in transparent paper." If this sounds like a travesty, it''s because it is one. Yet it dominates prose instruction in America.

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