The Marginalian
The Marginalian

Reads tagged with “writing”

Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing
Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing

“If it sounds like writing … rewrite it.”

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Gay Talese’s First Mac: The Godfather of Literary Journalism on His Secret Love of Typography
Gay Talese’s First Mac: The Godfather of Literary Journalism on His Secret Love of Typography

The writing craft between an Olivetti typewriter, 512 kB of memory, and a pad of yellow legal paper.

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10 Tips on Writing from Joyce Carol Oates
10 Tips on Writing from Joyce Carol Oates

“Don’t try to anticipate an ideal reader — or any reader. He/she might exist — but is reading someone else.”

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Thoreau on Why Not to Quote Thoreau
Thoreau on Why Not to Quote Thoreau

“It would be a truer discipline for the writer to … clear a new field instead of manuring the old.”

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How We Spend Our Days Is How We Spend Our Lives: Annie Dillard on Choosing Presence Over Productivity
How We Spend Our Days Is How We Spend Our Lives: Annie Dillard on Choosing Presence Over Productivity

“The life of sensation is the life of greed; it requires more and more. The life of the spirit requires less and less.”

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Annie Dillard on Writing
Annie Dillard on Writing

“At its best, the sensation of writing is that of any unmerited grace. It is handed to you, but only if you look for it. You search, you break your heart, your back, your brain, and then — and only then — it is handed to you.”

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The Best Books on Writing, NYC, Animals, and More: A Collaboration with the New York Public Library
The Best Books on Writing, NYC, Animals, and More: A Collaboration with the New York Public Library

A celebration of timelessly wonderful reads in an elaborate diorama of papercraft book sculptures.

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Gay Talese’s Daily Routine, Plus a Money-Saving Tip from the Godfather of Literary Journalism
Gay Talese’s Daily Routine, Plus a Money-Saving Tip from the Godfather of Literary Journalism

“At 8:00 p.m. I am contemplating the numbing predinner delight of a dry gin martini.”

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Italo Calvino on Writing: Selected Wisdom from a Lifetime of Letters
Italo Calvino on Writing: Selected Wisdom from a Lifetime of Letters

“One writes most of all in order to take part in a collective enterprise.”

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The Quartet of Creativity: 28-Year-Old Susan Sontag on the Four People a Great Writer Must Be
The Quartet of Creativity: 28-Year-Old Susan Sontag on the Four People a Great Writer Must Be

“A great writer has all 4 — but you can still be a good writer with only 1 and 2.”

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