Does grammar matter?
Edition #36
Welcome to Inside Out, a weekly newsletter about nonfiction writing.
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Sentence of the week
“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.” ― Jack Kerouac, On the Road
Long reads of the week
How the Elderly Lose Their Rights, by Rachel Aviv for The New Yorker (brilliant take on a global issue through a single character)
The Ballad of Old Man Peters, by Jon Franklin for The Evening Sun
Writing resources
How to Write Amazing Analogies, by Daniella Mini
On Finishing Pieces, Cutting the Fluff, and Sticking the Landing, by Susan Orlean
A while back I stumbled upon this essay denouncing Didion as a writer. While I don’t agree with the overall premise, what Harrison describes as a “bag of tricks” is actually an insightful breakdown of Didion’s techniques. Techniques are not tricks, and good writers hone their technique.
Deep dive: On grammar
A few years ago I wrote about grammar. Is it still important? Should we be militant about it? Does it help or hinder? For nonfiction writers, this is an ongoing (and ever-relevant) discussion.
TLDR: Clarity is important, but I’m a sucker for breaking grammar rules for poetic effect. Bradbury, Kerouac, Dr Seuss—you got me. (Also, most “grammar rules” are misunderstandings and change constantly. Don’t get too hung up on them.)
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