I think I probably like the old Jim Reeves version of the next song best, but there's something haunting about Isaak's version. Take a look at the lyrics while this one is playing. It's a bit jarring to see the words there, how simple they are.
If there's a writing aesthetic I aspire to, it's this one: simple is best. (Alas, aspiration doesn't always lead to achievement.) Still, it's true--simple words can convey complexity, probably better than the complex (polysyllabic, etc.) ones.
Not to slight Merle... The Man, The Legend... but I really like Isaak.
ReplyDeleteOur writing goals are the same, Dan. Did I ever tell ya I spent a couple o' few years as a tech writer/editor who specialized in writing technical proposals (a combination marketing/technical exercise in response to RFPs)? I learned what chops I have under one of the BEST editors in the bid'niz who later went on to a become a Veep at EDS. She constantly harped on the fact that simple was best, especially when it came to describing technical solutions to non-technical readers. That woman certainly left her mark on me.
In my junior year in college, I thought using the Thesaurus every other word was the key to good writing. He put me on the simple path. Like your example shows, it's good to have those mentors along the way. And your writing on EIP, IMHO, definitely reflects the clarity and precision of the "simple is better" philosophy.
ReplyDeleteYou're too kind, Dan. But I certainly appreciate it!
DeleteSimplicity is good but sometimes I go too far; I just realized I cut out the sentence explaining that my American Lit prof was the mentor who gave me the skinny on simplicity--he was the "He" referred to in the sentence above. My bad.
Delete