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In writing, style matters. Our favorite writers often entertain, move, and inspire us less by what they say than by how they say it. In The Sound on the Page, acclaimed author, teacher, and critic Ben Yagoda offers practical and incisive help for writers on developing and discovering their own style and voice.
This wonderfully rich and readable book features interviews with more than 40 of our most important authors discussing their literary style, including:
Dave Barry
Harold Bloom
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer
Bill Bryson
Michael Chabon
Andrei Codrescu
Junot Díaz
Adam Gopnik
Jamaica Kincaid
Michael Kinsley
Elmore Leonard
Elizabeth McCracken
Susan Orlean
Cynthia Ozick
Anna Quindlen
Jonathan Raban
David Thomson
Tobias Wolff
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
November 21, 2023 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780061860621
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780061860621
- File size: 1397 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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June 1, 2004
In this fascinating study, author, columnist, and English professor Yagoda (Will Rogers; About Town) examines style-that elusive but all-important element of excellence in writing. Or is it? To answer that question, Yagoda asks the following: How is it that we recognize an author? And how does any author develop his or her singular voice? While Yagoda does not go so far as to suggest abandoning William Strunk and E.B. White's classic The Elements of Style as a guide to proper grammar and style, he does suggest that taking the personal element out of literary writing is next to impossible and that individual style is the defining ingredient of outstanding literature. Yagoda further analyzes the paradox of subvocalization, the illusion of transparency, and the existence of gender differences. But the real jewels of the book are the interviews from outstanding voices of our time, such as Dave Barry (Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, 1986), Andrei Codrescu (NPR's All Things Considered), Anna Quindlen (Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, 1992), and award-winning novelist John Updike. Overall, this entertaining and instructive book should be part of any writing collection.-Ann Schade, Powers Memorial Lib., Palmyra, WICopyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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