The Elements of Style | E. B. Whitewashed?
In the following essay, Plotnik traces both positive and negative critical response to The Elements of Style since its initial publication.
Elements of Style Author Knew Writing Rules Were Meant to be Bent
No American writing guide is more revered than the 5-ounce Strunk & White, a.k.a. The Elements of Style (Allyn & Bacon). ‘‘Timeless,’’ ‘‘the best book of its kind we have,’’ gush its idolaters. Yet, for all its glory, the tiny-shouldered book is also a magnet for bashers.
It is geriatric. First appearing in 1918, it underwent its fourth resuscitation in 2000. It is small and vulnerable—as pokable as the Pillsbury Doughboy for determined critics. And the coddling...
[The entire page is 1097 words long]
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