Elements of Style

I came across Strunk and White's The Elements of Style with irrelevant, playful illustrations by Maira Kalman. Years ago, Strunk and White's book was the first book on grammar and style that made sense to me. Rereading it reawakened a sensitivity to words and phrases that decades dictating psychiatric reports have eroded to jargon and carp. There's hope for me again. Unlearning a thoughtless way with words, like unlearning the wrong ways I learned to play the piano, feels a daunting, hopeless task. Kalman's irrelevant pictures reminded me of the value of insanity. When we don’t take it so seriously, a daunting task lifts and becomes, if not doable, at least a joy.