Strunk and White mattering

“Strunk & White was the first text for millions that persuaded reluctant writers that the writing craft was not an act of magic, but the applied use of both rules and tools”: Roy Peter Clark writes about “Why Strunk & White still matters (or matter) (or both).”

In 2009 Geoffrey Pullum’s Chronicle attack renewed my interest in “Strunk & White” — or The Elements of Style, a book I hadn’t thought about for many years. (My response to Pullum is one of the most widely read posts on this blog.) I remain ambivalent about The Elements: I couldn’t imagine using the book (so painfully dated) in a writing class, but I think it has greater value than its detractors allow.

Related reading
All OCA Strunk and White posts (Pinboard)