“A writer must always tell the truth, unless he is a journalist,” Gore Vidal is said to have said. This rather pessimistic sentiment prompted me to read “The Elements of Journalism” by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosentiel, whose purpose in writing the book was “to identify common principles shared by people who called themselves … Read more
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, / But I have promises to keep,” Robert Frost wrote while contemplating the power of perseverance. The author of “War and Peace” and one of the greatest international writers, Leo Tolstoy (September 9, 1828-November 20, 1920), complements these lines with a much-needed practical advice, included in his timeless … Read more
Almost everything you read here was inspired by my long daily walks. The writing muse, it seems, likes to grace me with her presence only when my feet are in motion — a vital condition for composing my scattered thoughts and jotting them down in the notebook of the mind. And I’m far from alone … Read more
What is good writing? “The Elements of Style,” hailed by many as one of the most important books on writing ever published, tries to answer this question. But does it succeed? I believe that the answer will vary depending on your stand in the most heated debate among wordsmiths — whether brevity and succinctness are … Read more