NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY "KIRKUS REVIEWS"
"Good Prose" is an inspiring book about writing--about the creation
of good prose--and the record of a warm and productive literary
friendship. The story begins in 1973, in the offices of "The
Atlantic Monthly, " in Boston, where a young freelance writer named
Tracy Kidder came looking for an assignment. Richard Todd was the
editor who encouraged him. From that article grew a lifelong
association. Before long, Kidder's "The Soul of a New Machine, "
the first book the two worked on together, had won the Pulitzer
Prize. It was a heady moment, but for Kidder and Todd it was only
the beginning of an education in the art of nonfiction.
"Good Prose "explores three major nonfiction forms: narratives,
essays, and memoirs. Kidder and Todd draw candidly, sometimes
comically, on their own experience--their mistakes as well as
accomplishments--to demonstrate the pragmatic ways in which
creative problems get solved. They also turn to the works of a wide
range of writers, novelists as well as nonfiction writers, for
models and instruction. They talk about narrative strategies (and
about how to find a story, sometimes in surprising places), about
the ethical challenges of nonfiction, and about the realities of
making a living as a writer. They offer some tart and emphatic
opinions on the current state of language. And they take a clear
stand against playing loose with the facts. Their advice is always
grounded in the practical world of writing and publishing.
"Good Prose"--like Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style--"is a
succinct, authoritative, and entertaining arbiter of standards in
contemporary writing, offering guidance for the professional writer
and the beginner alike. This wise and useful book is the perfect
companion for anyone who loves to read good books and longs to
write one.
Praise for "Good Prose"
"Smart, lucid, and entertaining."--"The Boston Globe"
" "
"You are in such good company--congenial, ironic, a bit
old-school--that you're happy to follow Kidder and Todd] where they
lead you."--"The Wall Street Journal"
" A] well-structured, to-the-point, genuinely useful, and
fun-to-read guide to writing narrative nonfiction, essays, and
memoir . . . Crisp, informative, and mind-expanding."--"Booklist""
"
"A gem . . . The finer points of creative nonfiction are molded
into an inspiring read that will affect the would-be writer as much
as Anne Lamott's" Bird by Bird "or Stephen King's "On Writing. ." .
. This is a must read for nonfiction writers."--"Library
Journal"
" "
"As approachable and applicable as any writing manual
available."--Associated Press
"From the Hardcover edition."
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