There have always been bad stylists. But the problem of heard writing is not simply that of a less than exemplary pursuit of 'le mot juste': it is that of a lack of serious ideas altogether, an absence that manifests itself in the obdurate sentimentality, the comfortable obscenity, and the casual indifference to principles of euphony that together characterize this altogether noxious approach to English prose.
Well, I think it is a good idea to write as you talk. It is also a good idea to listen to how other people talk. But art is not a transcription of life. It is a selection and arrangement of significant details from life into a coherent whole.
No comments:
Post a Comment