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Yes Colin, agree about the sentence re 'bad writing is...' and I especially like your reversal, but it's always good to witness somebody voicing your own opinions, for a change. I do not agree with what he says about Ashbery but it still made me smile and was worth it for what he said about some of the others.

Tim A.
  
On 19 Sep 2010, at 15:54, colin herd wrote:

Are you all joking that you like this article? When I read it a while back I actually found it very annoying, mean-spirited, in places a little funny, and completely unconvincing and alien when it comes to what I appreciate in writing. That sentence in particular:

" Bad writing is characterized by obfuscation, showboating, narcissism, lack of a moral core, and style over substance. Good writing is exactly the opposite."

Seriously? I guess articles like this are difficult to criticize because they're meant to be funny, but funny or not, I would turn that sentence around and be a lot more happy with it, if it wasn't for the fact that I find it unappetizing to write a sentence saying what bad or good writing is.

" Good writing is characterized by obfuscation, showboating, narcissism, lack of a moral core, and style over substance. Bad writing is exactly the opposite."

The only point he makes is that some writers are over-rated. Well, uh, 'Yes', of course, they are...

Colin.

On Sun, Sep 19, 2010 at 3:26 PM, Judy Prince <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Anis Shivani drew 1707 comments to his lovely vicious post, and it's tough to choose which bits are the funniest, but my quick fave describes do-nothing/say-nothing Billy Collins as the "Seinfeld of American poetry."  Most enjoyable were Anis's skewerings of John Ashbery and Sharon Olds.
 
Simple and welcome:  " Bad writing is characterized by obfuscation, showboating, narcissism, lack of a moral core, and style over substance. Good writing is exactly the opposite."
 
Thanks, David.