THE MFA BLOG: Holiday Cheer from Strunk & White

Friday, November 19, 2010

Holiday Cheer from Strunk & White

I’m going to be honest. I’d found a different link to share, one that would have been accompanied by a few paragraphs of thoughtfulness, plus a question or two for your consideration. But due to the clutter of my writer’s brain, compounded by the clutter of pre-Thanksgiving angst, I cannot remember what it was about or even where I saw it. While searching for clues this morning, I stumbled upon a McSweeney’s piece from last summer—a riff on the grand arbiters Strunk and White—and it made me smile. What writer hasn’t been caught in the tug of war between syntax and personal style? I love the Elements and its authors, and I love this. Hope you enjoy. Likely my other idea will come flashing back while I’m on the train home for the holiday. In the meantime, just be thankful I didn’t include a transcript of last night’s vegetable and side dish debate.

1 comment:

'11 MFA Draft said...: Nice. I also liked this one, which should be read by anyone applying for MFA programs (especially if you visited the school grounds before).

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/
2010/5/27hague.html

Although not completely relevant, this is funny to me because I've been looking to buy a baseball cap lately (to hide my I'm-too-lazy-to-get-a-haircut-hair), and because I really don't care about what team adorns my head, I thought about getting a hat of one of the schools I'm applying to. And if I didn't get in, well, I'd have the hat to remind me of my failure.; November 22, 2010 at 4:00 PM

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