The Writer's Art

by James J. Kilpatrick

Writing comes in grades of quality in the fashion of beer and baseball games, says James J. Kilpatrick, "good, better, and best." With the experience of a lifetime of writing, he tells us, he wants to make a few judgment calls. And Jack Kilpatrick, master of the art, is as good as his word. In the tradition of Theodore Bernstein, Edwin Newman, and William Safire, James J. Kilpatrick gives us a finely crafted, witty guide to writing well. Written for laymen and professionals alike, The Writer's Art highlights techniques and examples of good writing. A section of the book called "My Crotchets and Your Crotchets" comprises more than 200 personal judgment calls, often controversial, often funny, on word usage.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Language, Journalism

262 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1984

Reviews

[Peter Krol]

Superb. I found the book engaging, witty, and useful as I attempt to learn this art. Most of the chapters were a delight to read, and they inspired me to reconsider how I write not only essays, but also reviews, emails, and thank-you notes.

The long chapter on Kilpatrick's "crotchets" read like a dictionary: informative and beneficial, but only in small doses.

"So let us love words, and let us treat them with tender loving care. Shades of meaning matter greatly; exactitude matters greatly. Empathy for our audience matters greatly" (Location 2241, Kindle version).

[J.A.A. Purves]

The most pleasantry and humor in a book discussing the art of constructing sentences that I have ever read.

No wait ...

The most pleasantry and humor of any book I've ever read that discussed the art of constructing sentences.

Nope.

This book has more pleasantry and humor in discussing the art of constructing sentences than that of any book I have ever read.

Still not right ...

With humor, Kilpatrick makes discussing the art of constructing sentences more pleasant than any other style book I've read.

Or perhaps just -

Kilpatrick uses more humor and pleasantry in discussing the art of constructing sentences than has any other book on the subject.

It can be better. I've still got some work to do. I mean ... I still have some work to do.

[Douglas Wilson]

Excellent.

[Anne]

I gave the author an extra star for name-checking Great-Uncle Douglas (his former boss at the Richmond News-Leader) a few times.

"Mr. Kilpatrick, If you start purple, end purple. DSF"

[Anson Cassel Mills]

Too bad that the only current biography of James Jackson Kilpatrick (1920-2010) stresses his support for segregation during the civil rights era. Yes, that was one part of Kilpatrick’s career; but he should also be better known for his careful, witty writing. Despite some dated examples in this compilation, the book is still a great resource for the novice—and even not-so-novice—writer. (I checked it out of the library, read it, then bought a copy.)

[Denis McDaniel]

Whatever you think of Kilpatrick’s political views- I was not a fan for the most part- this was a delightful and (gently) curmudgeonly exploration of how writing goes wrong, even (especially) among the educated classes. I loved every page.

[Joshua Kuebler]

If you are a writer wanting to grow and become a better writer, this book is an excellent read.

[J R]

Found this book when it showed up in my Hoopla feed because I’ve been reading several books on the art of writing. Was okay but not as helpful as the other books I’ve been reading.

[Josh]

I think it would be clear to anyone who reads this book that James Kilpatrick was a very talented writer and an excellent choice to write a book on "the writer's art." The great strength of this book is the whole of it offers quality writing to imitate, generous advice to consider, clear examples of mistakes to avoid and the remedies to apply.

The criticisms I have are owing to a disinterest I found growing as the book progressed. The early chapters kept my attention with the author's wit and helpful advice supported by his lavish prose, but around the halfway mark of the book it began to read a bit dull, though still written in an admirable style, by relying too heavily on anecdotes, personal preoccupations and peeves. I've confidence I wouldn't have been put off if I'd a greater interest in the man or had followed his work, but, alas, this is not the case. We are told in the foreword that, "[Kilpatrick] confesses that this is in some ways a personal book" and, indeed, the latter portion reads a bit like a diary: it's mostly charming and still fun, but not as engaging as the former.

I learned much from this book and I think several of the chapters would be worth revisiting and could be routinely consulted with great profit.

[Jack]

There are a couple of schools of grammar. Prescriptive grammarians believe in the preservation and imposition of rules. Descriptive grammarians describe the current state of the language. Kilpatrick is largely prescriptive. This book contains a lot of prescriptive rules for writing, grammar, and word usage. I would argue that this is a lot less about art and more about technique, mechanics, or craft. This is more about the tools and techniques, rather than the product. Perhaps that expresses my mostly descriptive beliefs about grammar. Grammarians like Kilpatrick try hard, but there are a few items in the book that have been pushed aside by common use in the years since he wrote the book.

Still, I think it is a useful book. Prescriptive rules can be important in creating tight, active, and descriptive prose. Just be sure you don't drown under the flood of common use while still clutching them to your heart. This book is useful as a reference and a reminder. It can be entertaining and fun from time to time, but there isn't a lot here that you won't find in other books.

[Craig Cecil]

Most books designed to improve your writing are...dare we say?...boring. This one is a little better. Mr. Kilpatrick infuses enough humor, examples of bad writing, and personal anecdotes to make the task more palatable. Get the electronic version of the book, make your highlights of the most pertinent info, print them out, and you've got your own personalized writing checklist which you can refer to while creating your masterpiece.

[Jim Sundstrom]

Not the gospel on writing, but pretty darn close. Nor would the late author describe it as such, although I don't believe humility was J. Kilpatrick's strong suit. The examples of both good and bad usage of language are fun to read. Never mind the notion that you might just learn something. Dated at times, although that is a lesson in and of itself, of the ever-changing English language, a lesson preached by the author himself. Overall, a valuable reference as well as an enjoyable read.

[Jesse]

Okay, Kilpatrick, you won me over. At the beginning, I thought you were too cranky and resistant to change. Through the final chapter, I have come to see you are only a writer who wishes words would be used correctly. Thanks for the teachings, I hope to use them well. Whether I will remains to be seen.

[Daniel]

It has been over 20 years since I read Kilpatrick's book The Writer's Art. I have never forgotten the book (although I am sure some of the lessons - maybe time for a re-read). Along with Elements of Style (Strunk and White), I believe this may be the best overall improvement to writing book I have ever read. This is a must read, especially in today's work and school environment.

[Heather]

Kilpatrick is a seasoned writer with plenty of insight and tips for mastering the Writer's art. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. His mixture of wit, sacrasm and firm grasp of the English language makes this a rare page-turning writer's guide. I laughed out loud on several occasions.

[Armen Chakmakjian]

This is the best book on writing I ever read. When he starts to go down the list of common "mistakes" people I crack up. If you are a writer of any sort, read it, form your own conclusions and style, but listen to what he says...it was quite powerful.

[Scott L.]

An absolutely amazing book. I used to love reading Kilpatrick's columns; this book is an extension of those wonderful columns. I would recommend this book to anyone who writes, even if it is just for your own pleasure.

[Willa]

Kilpatrick is unabashedly prescriptivist, but that's part of what makes the book such fun reading. There's a lot of good advice, also a lot that I disagree with, but taken for what it is-- a collection of one author's advice and crotchets-- the book is quite enjoyable.

[Carlos Mueses]

Great book on the art of writing. It serves as a great read and a reference guide.

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong]

I found this book to be boring and wordy and frankly I didn't agree with his writing philosophy.

[z]

- the book is targeted toward journalists, though like Strunk & White, it's very useful for other writing disciplines as well.
- the book is mostly a glorified but brief American English usage guide, which culminates in a short usage dictionary with entries developed by reporters' mistakes that have irked Kilpatrick.

[Kimberly Patton]

Didn’t love love this book, but I can see how this book is important to go back to as a writer. I like how in the back, there are several controversial pitfalls grammatically and spelling-wise that are super interesting.