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"Good Prose" is a personal account at its core. Both Todd and Kidder insist that they prefer not to be effusive, that they've grown close almost by accident. But listen to Todd preface his reminder that "editors need writers more than the reverse": "Editing is a wifely trade. ... (It involves) those skills that are stereotypically female: listening, supporting, intuiting." He graciously (or maybe self-servingly!) omits the obvious: nagging. But "Good Prose" never feels voyeuristic. We want to know how this mysterious process really feels when it works, and especially when it works for so long. Kidder and Todd introduce "Good Prose" as "a practical book." And it is. In the chapter on "beginnings," the pair cite several of the most beloved openings in English and American literature
-- but with such fluidity and relevance that there's no danger of overload, and plenty of their references are current. Organized around topics such as using time elements, being accurate and developing a compelling voice, or "sound," "Good Prose" is as approachable and applicable as any writing manual available.
[Associated
Press;
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