Stylized: A Slightly Obsessive History of Strunk & White's The Elements of Style

A LIVELY, WITTY, AND PASSIONATE CELEBRATION OF THE "LITTLE BOOK" THAT HAS DONE MORE TO SHAPE WRITING IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE THAN ANY OTHER GUIDE IN MODERN TIMES Since 1959, "The Elements of Style" has been required reading for aspiring writers, English majors, and anyone with a love of language. Strunk and White's guidelines for good grammar and style have been discussed, debated, and occasionally even debunked...but they cannot be dismissed. A Strunk and White devotee since high school, writer and editor Mark Garvey has long appreciated "Elements" for its character, its attitude, and its bracing good sense. The book is not only a helpful guide to creating better prose, it is also a compelling reminder of the virtues of clarity, simplicity, and truth in writing -- and an inspiring celebration of the individual voice. To tell the story of this timeless, beloved, sometimes controversial book, and the men behind it, Garvey digs deep into the Cornell University archives and the personal letters of E. B. White and his professor William Strunk Jr. "Stylized" is a lovingly crafted history that explores "Elements'" staying power and takes us from the hallowed halls of academia to the bustling offices of "The New Yorker" magazine to the dazzling days of old Hollywood -- and into the hearts and minds of some of the most respected writers working today.