In chapters on diction, syntax, tone, meaning, composition, and revision, Barzun describes and prescribes the techniques to correct even the most ponderous style. Urn:oclc:823752119 Scandate 20100322154912 Scanner . In Simple & Direct, Jacques Barzun, celebrated author and educator, distills from a lifetime of writing and teaching his thoughts about the craft of writing. OL14863118W Page-progression lr Page_number_confidence 90.94 Pages 236 Ppi 400 Related-external-id urn:isbn:0226038688 Urn:lcp:simpledirectrhet00barz:epub:b86bc767-9922-4e03-9bcd-5c147a93564a Extramarc Columbia University Libraries Foldoutcount 0 Identifier simpledirectrhet00barz Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t7wm1xv8m Isbn 0060102365ĩ780060102364 Lccn 75006328 Ocr_converted abbyy-to-hocr 1.1.20 Ocr_module_version 0.0.17 Openlibrary_edition PS: I suppose this post could be considered a sort of addenda to Scott McLemee’s useful reflections yesterday at InsideHigherEd on the 2003 book, Critical Intellectuals on Writing (SUNY Press).Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 17:15:19 Bookplateleaf 0004 Boxid IA114215 Camera Canon 5D City New York DonorĪlibris Edition External-identifier In these short pieces you will find the writings of such as Eric Hoffer, Dorothy Sayers, Abraham Lincoln, and others who have written works that meet all of Barzuns criteria for Simple & Direct. – Hints Toward Improving Sentences Quoted Each chapter ends with a very pleasant clearing of the palate, what Barzun calls Time Out for Good Reading. “How to Be Respected at an Inn, Hotel or Pub” Composition, or How Does It Hang Together? Tone and Tune, or What Impression Will It Make?

Here’s the TOC from the Chicago Press version: … ** Surprisingly, two paperback versions of Simple and Direct seem to be in print with two publishing houses: (1) One with University of Chicago Press, revised in 1985, and (2) another in print with Harper Collins’s Harper Perennial imprint. Simple and Direct: A Rhetoric for Writers (1975). * The conversation was led by Jack Jackson at the SoL (Source of Light) Center, University Presbyterian Church, San Antonio, TX. Jacques Barzun, French-born American scholar and teacher is a prolific writer on cultural studies. As a bonus, at the 45:00 minute mark in the interview Barzun also discusses why he chose cultural and intellectual history at the start of his career. I offer this for your consumption because I profited much, in theory at least, from Barzun’s challenging 1975 book on the craft of writing titled Simple and Direct: A Rhetoric for Writers.** I say “in theory” because he held forth ideals with which I still struggle. Two months ago Jacques Barzun-former Columbia University professor, historian of culture and ideas, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom ( in 2003, with Julia Child among others)-sat for an interview to discuss the art of writing.*

Simple and Direct by Jacques Barzun