The Sound on the Page
Great Writers Talk about Style and Voice in Writing
by Ben Yagoda · first published 2004
100% recommend
In writing, style matters. Our favorite writers often entertain, move, and inspire us less by what they say than by how they say it. In The Sound on the Page, acclaimed author, teacher, and critic Ben Yagoda offers practical and incisive help for writers on developing and discovering their own style and voice. This wonderfully rich and readable book features interviews with more than 40 of our most important authors discussing their literary style, including:Dave BarryHarold BloomSupreme Court Justice Stephen BreyerBill BrysonMichael ChabonAndrei CodrescuJunot DiazAdam GopnikJamaica KincaidMic
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…into stylistic issues). The books to compare Strunk & White with are not grammar textbooks (I don't know why Pullum keeps doing this) but things like Steven Pinker's A Sense of Style or Ben Yagoda's The Sound on the Page or Zinsser's On Writing Well or Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft etc. I have said all this in the answer I linked to in the comment above (and comments on other answers at that question),…
on “In Praise of the Long and Complicated Sentence” ↗If you like the subject and style of writing, check out these books by the same author: "The sound on the page" and "When you catch an adjective, kill it". I highly recommend them.
on “Takeaway” ↗He's the author of two books I really enjoyed and recommend: "The Sound on the Page" and "When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It".
on “The other British invasion: how UK lingo conquered the US” ↗