50 Years of Elements of Style
“If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.”
Dorothy Parker
The ultimate guide to writing with precision and flair, The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, turned 50 yesterday. NPR did a nice piece celebrating the book, its origins and its influence on writers.
I’ve always loved this slim book of common sense and uncommon clarity. I was first introduced to EOS in college, and found it a refreshing bit of permission to be precise rather than trying to sound scholarly, which is a temptation at that age. I’ve always had at least one copy of it ever since–one for home, and one for my office, and I’ve given a few away, too.
Reading EOS also led me to read E.B. White’s essays. I was, of course, familiar with his novels, especially Charlotte’s Web, which I read many times as a child, and have re-read as an adult because it is a masterpiece. (To dismiss it as a children’s book is to diminish the power of its story and the quality of its craft.) But I hadn’t read his essays, which are a delight.
So tonight, when we have family over for pizza and a walk in the warm spring sunset, I’ll raise a glass and toast The Elements of Style. And I’ll remember something E.B. White once said: “Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar.”