This post is a piece by Frank Bruni from the Times. Here's a link to the original. It's the new year, so it's time to take a moment to celebrate some the best writing that appeared in the last year. This is what Bruni has done here. In particular, he shows us his favorite sentences. I … Continue reading Frank Bruni — The Best Sentences of 2024
If the greatest joy that comes from retirement is that I no longer have to attend faculty meetings, the second greatest joy is that I no longer have to grade student papers. I know, I know: commenting on student writing is a key component of being a good teacher, and there's a real satisfaction that … Continue reading Robin Lee Mozer — I Would Rather Do Anything Else than Grade Your Final Papers
This post is a piece from the New York Times about the work of Robert McFadden, the retiring Times obituary writer. Obits are a great genre for an adept writer, who can capture the character of a famous figure in a few words and an apt metaphor. McFadden is the master of this genre, and … Continue reading Robert McFadden: A Master Class in Writing from the King of Obits
This post is a recent piece by A. O. Scott from the New York Times about the muddled way in which we have long treated the concept of being "middle class." Here's a link to the original. The ‘Middle’ Is a Muddle Everybody loves the middle class. Nobody wants to be mid, or middling. “Middle” … Continue reading A. O. Scott: On the Muddle of the Middle Class
This post is a continuation of my tribute to Joe Moran's lovely book, First You Write a Sentence. It's part of my ongoing series of posts about issues in writing and books on writing. What I like so much about Moran's take on the subject is that he not only gives cogent advice for how … Continue reading Joe Moran: How to Write a Sentence, Pt. 2
This post is a tribute to Joe Moran's lovely book, First You Write a Sentence. It's part of my ongoing series of posts about issues in writing and books on writing. What I like so much about Moran's take on the subject is that he not only gives cogent advice for how to write better, … Continue reading Joe Moran: First You Write a Sentence, Pt. 1
I'm posting today one of the greatest speeches ever given, from that master of rhetoric, Frederick Douglass. It demonstrates the power of language to make arguments and change hearts. In a time like ours, when rhetoric is used to promote the worst social ills, it's gratifying to see what it can do in the right … Continue reading Frederick Douglass’s “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July”
They laughed when I told them I wanted to be a comedian. Well they’re not laughing now. Bob Monkhouse Wit is notoriously difficult to analyze, and any effort to do so is likely to turn out dry and witless. But two recent authors have done a remarkably effective job of trying to make sense … Continue reading Wit, and the Art of Writing
This is a piece I published in Aeon several years ago about the persistence of the five-paragraph essay, which has evolved into the five-chapter dissertation and the five-section journal article. Formalism reins supreme. Here’s the link to the original. The essay is included in my newish book, Being a Scholar: Reflections on Doctoral Study, Scholarly Writing, and Academic Life. … Continue reading The Five-Paragraph Fetish
This post is an essay by Elizabeth Steere that was recently published in Inside Higher Ed. Here's a link to the original. For teachers worried about students who turn in AI produced essays, she provides an analysis of 50 some essays she generated using ChatGPT using prompts from past assignments she's deployed in her own teaching. … Continue reading Elizabeth Steere — Anatomy of an AI Essay
David Labaree on Schooling, History, and Writing 