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A review by mveldeivendran
Quack This Way by Bryan A. Garner, David Foster Wallace
3.0
This audio transcript of the interview with DFW by Bryan Garner focussed upon some of the tools and techniques involved in English language usage and writing. People who aren't familiar with David Wallace's works and interested in the book might find this review useful.
"You'll cut this out but a Usage dictionary is one of the greatest bathroom books of all time."
DFW discussed his necessities of a thesaurus book, usage dictionary while (re)writing the sixth or seventh draft. How he had taught writing at the school and how he differed from his old school teachers in confusing the pupils though confusion will be prevalent nonetheless, he professed. A little exploration into argumentative writing and the way on how one should focus when it comes to writing non-fiction so that the logical and ethical appeal maybe preserved to be let enjoyed by the readers.
They had a similar take on the usage of 'officialese' (using impersonal, indifferent way of communication in public places of service) that when it is sorely in need to get connected with a mass, two individual speakers should in many sense speak not as human beings but as larynx and tongue of a longer set of people, responsible laws, regulations, and stuffs. Some more bashing on the emerging euphemisms/ genteelisms like the usage of 'prior to' when none is using things like 'posterior to' such that these puffed up words are not worth most of the time.
Despite the topics on the usage of language and writing was quite interesting, this usage fun has become no longer relevant with the culture as there have been too many strides in one culture and not even in the political facade where you find political leaders using emergent words like 'bigly'. They were discussing the usage problems of then-President G.W. Bush during his state of the union addresses and other public addresses.
You recognise this right? You're at a party:
"Yo, what your hobby?"
"Usage"
"Huh, huh, huh! Boy! I bet you get laid a lot."
"You'll cut this out but a Usage dictionary is one of the greatest bathroom books of all time."
DFW discussed his necessities of a thesaurus book, usage dictionary while (re)writing the sixth or seventh draft. How he had taught writing at the school and how he differed from his old school teachers in confusing the pupils though confusion will be prevalent nonetheless, he professed. A little exploration into argumentative writing and the way on how one should focus when it comes to writing non-fiction so that the logical and ethical appeal maybe preserved to be let enjoyed by the readers.
They had a similar take on the usage of 'officialese' (using impersonal, indifferent way of communication in public places of service) that when it is sorely in need to get connected with a mass, two individual speakers should in many sense speak not as human beings but as larynx and tongue of a longer set of people, responsible laws, regulations, and stuffs. Some more bashing on the emerging euphemisms/ genteelisms like the usage of 'prior to' when none is using things like 'posterior to' such that these puffed up words are not worth most of the time.
Despite the topics on the usage of language and writing was quite interesting, this usage fun has become no longer relevant with the culture as there have been too many strides in one culture and not even in the political facade where you find political leaders using emergent words like 'bigly'. They were discussing the usage problems of then-President G.W. Bush during his state of the union addresses and other public addresses.
You recognise this right? You're at a party:
"Yo, what your hobby?"
"Usage"
"Huh, huh, huh! Boy! I bet you get laid a lot."