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    Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction
    Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction
    Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction
    Audiobook5 hours

    Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction

    Written by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd

    Narrated by Sean Pratt

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Good Prose is an inspiring book about writing-about the creation of good prose-and the record of a warm and productive literary friendship. The story begins in 1973, in the offices of the Atlantic Monthly, in Boston, where a young freelance writer named Tracy Kidder came looking for an assignment. Richard Todd was the editor who encouraged him, and from that article grew a lifelong association. Before long, Kidder's The Soul of a New Machine, the first book the two worked on together, had won the Pulitzer Prize.

    Good Prose explores three major nonfiction forms: narratives, essays, and memoirs. Kidder and Todd draw candidly, sometimes comically, on their own experience-their mistakes as well as accomplishments-to demonstrate the pragmatic ways in which creative problems get solved. They also turn to the works of a wide range of writers, novelists as well as nonfiction writers, for models and instruction. They talk about narrative strategies, about the ethical challenges of nonfiction, and about the realities of making a living as a writer. They offer some tart and emphatic opinions on the current state of language. And they take a clear stand against playing loose with the facts. Their advice is always grounded in the practical world of writing and publishing.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateDec 5, 2017
    ISBN9781541485402
    Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction
    Author

    Tracy Kidder

    Tracy Kidder graduated from Harvard, studied at the University of Iowa, and served as an army officer in Vietnam. He has won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Award, and many other literary prizes, and is the author of eight books.

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    Reviews for Good Prose

    4/5

    86 ratings25 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Much like Stephen King's On Writing, this book falls into the part memoir/writing remembrances/good advice category.It's not a "how-to write nonfiction" book, but more a "here's the lessons we've learned over the past four decades" book.It's an excellent book, and deserves to be shelved right beside King's.
    • 4/5
      Well written prose on writing prose, the main thing I took away from reading this is that an author needs a good editor, and an editor must need a whole lot of patience. Aside from the writing advice alot of other non-fiction authors are mentioned along with some interesting books I plan to look for.
    • 3/5
      Good information about writing non-fiction from both an author and an editor standpoint.
    • 4/5
      This sadly seemed like a story of days gone by, days when publishers would travel town to town asking if anyone had a book in their closet, and some random person would pull out a box with an international blockbuster. In this case, days when writers had a personal relationship with their editor. Days when there actually were editors. I found it all very interesting. It is a rather intimate look at a friendship and professional relationship. If I were casting it, it would have to be Jimmy Stewart and June Allison (hey! this is my fantasy). No one today would have a glimmer of what Todd and Kidder have lived through.
    • 4/5
      Kidder and Todd but together a book about writing non-fiction. It goes over several types of non-fiction although I am not sure if the division is needed as some of the advice is capable of being used for any form of non-fiction or even fiction. I've read better. I've read worse.
    • 4/5
      During the past three decades American culture has become louder, faster, more disjointed. For immediacy of effect, writers can’t compete with popular music or action movies, cable network news or the multiplying forms of instant messaging. We think that writers shouldn’t try, and that there is no need to try. Writing remains the best route we know toward clarity of thought and feeling.Amen! However: that’s like newspaper’s argument against radio and television -- that depth beats immediacy -- and as generations are abandoning newspaper’s depth, so I fear they will abandon writing’s clarity.Anyway, Good Prose is a combination memoir + lessons-learned about writing and editing nonfiction (narratives, essays and memoirs), written by a writer and his long-time editor. It covers narrative elements (story, characters, point of view, setting, structure); style (from dense journalese to wandering vernacular); truth vs. fact (and fact vs. manipulation); art vs. commercial success; and re-writing/being edited. It’s like a broader, deeper version of the “A Conversation with Author X” programs held at auditoriums and book fests, and is one of the better books “on writing” for readers and beginning writers. Plus, its discussions of Kidder’s (and others’) books increased my wishlist by about ten.I marked dozens of passages, here are several:To write is to talk to strangers. You want them to trust you. You might well begin by trusting them -- by imagining for the reader an intelligence at least equal to the intelligence you imagine for yourself.Point of view is the place from which a storyteller listens in and watches. {...It’s} a place to stand, but more than that, a way to think and feel. {...} Against a large background, “I” can provide human scale. {...} the smaller the canvas, the more intrusive the first person is likely to be.Most memoirists, struggling for accuracy, would endorse this rough code of conduct: faithfulness to fact defined as faithfulness to one’s own memories. {But} like the act of remembering, the act of writing your own story inevitably distorts, if only by creating form where disorder reigns. {...} That’s one point of a story: to replace confusion with sense. The impulse of memoir is itself a fictive impulse.With good writing the reader enjoys a doubleness of experience, succumbing to the story or the ideas while also enjoying the writer’s artfulness.I always wince when a reviewer says, “This book needed an editor.” Often it had an editor, but the writer prevailed. Sometimes a book arrives at an editor’s desk too late for the editor to make a substantial difference.The kind of rewriting one learns, or used to learn, in high school or in a college freshman composition class, is a chore that mainly involves tinkering -- moving sentences and paragraphs around, prettying up a phrase, crossing out words and substituting better ones. {...But there’s a} second kind, from figuring out the essential thing you’re trying to do and looking for better ways to tell your story.
    • 4/5
      Insightful, full of sage advice, and frequently entertaining.
    • 4/5
      Good Prose is an unconventional writing guide. I wouldn’t even call it a writing guide, it’s more of a memoir of a writing team, a writer and editor who have been working together longer than the age of most readers of this book. Tracy Kidder, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and Richard Todd, a preeminent editor, former executive editor of The Atlantic Monthly, have worked on numerous writing projects over their forty years together, including Kidder’s award-winning book The Soul of a New Machine. There is no question that Kidder and Todd are masters of the nonfiction form, but as a voracious reader of writing guides, I found Good Prose to lack the consistent guidance and mentorship provided in other well-established guides such as Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones, Stephen King’s On Writing, William Zinsser’s On Writing Well, John Gardner’s On Becoming a Novelist, or my favorite, Norman Mailer’s The Spooky Art. This is not to say that there are not helpful chapters on writing nonfiction. In Beginnings, their first chapter, the authors introduce themselves with the following truism: To write is to talk to strangers. You want them to trust you. There are useful suggestions here. The next chapter is a study of each component of the narrative: story, point of view, characters and structure. In their discussion of story, a point of focus is the concept of revelation. The author and reader must learn something in a nonfiction narrative. Revelation is what transforms an event into a story. For characters, I found this to be most helpful: give telling details (mere description won’t vivify a statue). The authors devote a chapter each to memoirs and essays. But those are the only two forms they devote exclusive chapters to. For memoir, they share key tips: say difficult things, stick to the facts and be harder on yourself than others. For essays, a fresh idea is just as important as the essay itself, and you must make it your own. In their editing chapter, they stress the importance of rewriting, and what a privilege it is to get a second chance to make a first impression. Kidder says he generally rewrites a book ten times, top to bottom. And that it takes about three years for him to complete a book. At the end of the editing process, they read their entire book aloud. Yes, the whole thing. This can take three days. Intermixed between their writing tips are long philosophical narratives of their own personal experiences. There is great content here from true veterans in the field. And if you are seeking to fine-tune your craft, it’s worth the read. But oddly enough, I think the book could have used some more editing. The memoir parts didn’t seem to fuse with the writing-guide parts. Also, I found the tone to be too detached; I sensed that the authors felt a sort of pity for the emerging writer. The voice almost sounded like my first journalism professor at Northwestern who always seemed to talk down to the student. The tone isn’t terribly encouraging for the new writer, but maybe that’s not what it’s supposed to be. Writing guides are usually written with a lot of personality and enthusiasm, unless you are reading Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style. Actually, Good Prose is compared to that classic. But who wants to be reading Strunk and White on a Saturday night by the fireplace? Better to read it at the library, or at your desk with a highlighter and a lot of patience. And don’t expect much cheerleading.
    • 3/5
      Good Prose is a collaboration of a 40 year relationship between Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd. The pair met at Atlantic Monthly when it was housed in its old headquarters in Boston. The early part of the book is a nostalgic look back on their early years together as Kidder labored to find his path as a writer, and Todd served as his editor/sounding board. For some readon, Kidder finds it very difficult to get through a first draft, and Todd is able to pull him through this difficult process without dampening his enthusiasm. For many years Tracy Kidder lingered on the low rung of the authorship ladder until he had a breakthrough book, The Soul of a New Machine. It takes him approximately three years to write a book, and he and Richard Todd have settled into a routine that serves both well. They have a bond and intimacy that comes from decades of deep work of this sort, yet still give each other respect and space in a way that has kept them kind with each other. After a in-depth description of their relationship and background, the book moves into a major section on Narrative.The Narrative section is workable and instructive, with excellent sections on story, point of view, characters and structure. Each subsection describes the craft as well as provides examples of excellent and poor writing. This section will be perhaps the most helpful to someone learning the craft of nonfiction prose. Two more sections on Memoirs and Essays follow. Both of these are interesting and provide advise that is concrete and wise, particularly the section on Memoirs, a genre that has become more popular, yet often poorly written.Chapters on accuracy and style are more journalistic, yet important when nonfiction often is just a step beyond journalism. It helps to know the distinction. A style section follows, and this is perhaps the weakest part of the book. There was not much here that could not be more easily found in a style manual, and it is not in an accessible format for quick searching. The includes some of the business of writing and getting published. This is anecdotal, and interesting for someone who does not know the publishing world. It is hard to know how practical it will be with the changing writing/publishing landscape. Closing with a great chapter on editing and being edited, Kidder and Todd describe reading and editing each other's work. A humourous section displaying how much they have learned from each other and how well they work together.I enjoyed this book, but I can't say it is put together in a way that is as useful as I thought it might be. It is not organized so I could easily go back and find or refer to some tidbit I might want to review. This could be frustrating if one is looking for an instructive guide. I finally decided to just read this an an anjoyable piece, rather than as a reference or learning experience, hoping I would absorb and remember much of it. Because of this I rated it 3 stars rather than 4. I thought it could have been better organized as well as readable and serve as a resource to a writer over time.
    • 5/5
      After a somewhat self-indulgent but not, for that, unnecessary introduction sketching the authors' history together, Good Prose is an excellent, well-written, and engaging bit of writing and editing advice. Todd and Kidder choose to discuss various aspects of non-fiction writing from the perspective of both writer and editor, mining their extraordinarily productive and mutually supportive relationship for examples and approaches to problems. It's good, uncomplicated writing advice, and it's a good read.Like a lot of books about writing, it's a combination of memoir and advice, and the authors generally manage to stay out of their own ways while reminiscing. There's a very odd bit towards the end, though, where Todd, who otherwise seems like a normal guy, talks about the "gendered" roles of writer and editor that, while not reading as if Todd himself buys into gender stereotypes, is still jarring and presents a rather thoroughly outdated way of looking at the world. It tends to undercut the point he's trying to make, I think, about the nature of the relationship and whatever Todd might really think, it's surprisingly ill-advised in an otherwise really excellent book.
    • 4/5
      If I asked for the names ten authors, I am sure that most of you could almost effortlessly give me a list from the tops of your heads. But if I asked for the names of even two editors, unless you are a publishing insider, I would likely get a very different result. That is part of the reason that Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction makes for such interesting reading. The book, part writing manual, part memoir, was co-written from the points-of-view of author Tracy Kidder and his editor of more than 40-years collaboration, Richard Todd.The pair met in 1973 when Todd was assigned by The Atlantic Monthly to work with young freelancer Tracy Kidder. Todd was the slightly older, wiser writing practitioner who would walk Kidder through the process of getting published in one of the country’s oldest, and most prestigious, magazines for the first time. But that would be just the beginning for these two because that Atlantic article would ultimately evolve into Kidder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Soul of a New Machine. The memories of those early days shared by Todd and Kidder make for some rather intriguing (and heartwarming) reading as their work relationship develops into a more enduring one of respect and true friendship. But, as the book’s subtitle, Stories and advice from a lifetime of writing and editing, suggests, it is also filled with good advice and instruction pertaining to writing narrative nonfiction, memoirs, and essays. The chapter on narratives, for instance, covers details like point of view, characters, and structure. There are also whole chapters on accuracy, style, and “being edited and editing.” The authors also offer practical business advice based upon the current state of the publishing industry (a glimpse of the art vs. commerce part of the business) and encouragement to the novice writer. Too, there is a more “nuts and bolts” section tiled “Notes on Usage” that addresses things like the distinctions between “which and that,” “who and whom,” and “may and might.”Bottom line: don’t expect a complete, detailed manual on writing because Good Prose is not that kind of book. But, on the other hand, readers will enjoy, and benefit from this one, as much as any budding writer out there. Rated at: 3.5
    • 4/5
      I’ve read several of Tacy kidder’s books and loved them. I re-read “Good Prose” looking for that spark which made me a fan of his previous work but I couldn’t find it. Maybe for writers this will be helpful to me it read like an instruction manual -- one do this, two do that and then try this if you’re stuck. As for the relationship with his editor not much spark there either seemed just like one of those good working partnerships instead of something special. January 2013
    • 3/5
      There's no doubt that Kidder and Todd can certainly write the "good prose" of the book's title. This book, however, puts some of their editing skills (which are also triumphed in the book) in question. Mostly, it's unclear exactly what the main goals of "Good Prose" are. Some sections of the book read like a text (there's even an appendix on proper usage), and the guiding sections on various non-fiction forms (narrative, essay, and memoir) take up interesting ethical questions and provide excellent examples from a variety of works. The many pages given over to memoir are somewhat interesting in their own right, but they don't seem to belong in a writing guide. While each individual section of the book is a good example of its form, the whole is somehow less than the sum of its parts--mostly because it seems that Kidder and Todd never really settled on what non-fiction form they were themselves trying to produce--narrative, essay, or memoir?
    • 4/5
      I love Tracy Kidder's book Mountains Beyond Mountains, so I was excited to receive an early reviewer copy of this book, which he wrote with his longtime editor Richard Todd. In the introduction to the book, Kidder and Todd argue for the importance of writing:"For immediacy of effect, writers can't compete with popular music or action movies, cable network news or the multiplying forms of instant messaging. We think that writers shouldn't try and that there is no need to try. Writing remains the best route we know toward clarity of thought and feeling." (pp. xvi-xvii). And since this is a book about writing good prose, Kidder and Todd assure us that writing can be improved:"That you can learn to write better is one of our fundamental assumptions. No sensible person would deny the mystery of talent, or for that matter the mystery of inspiration. But if it is vain to deny these mysteries, it is useless to depend on them." (p. xvi). What follows are eight loosely related chapters about writing good prose. They cover a range of types of writing (memoirs, narratives, essays) and a number of tough issues (accuracy, style, and commerce). While all provide some good tips, the thing that sets this book apart from other books on writing is the dual perspective of writer and editor. Perhaps because of this, my favorite chapter was titled "Being Edited and Editing." Together, Kidder and Todd provide insight into the process of revision, sorting through voluminous first drafts to find the illusive story. Here's Kidder's take on revising:"I learned to like rewriting, maybe too much, but really it is the writer's special privilege. We rarely get the kind of chance in life that rewriting offers, to revise our pasts, to take back what we've said and say it better before others hear it." (p. 151)This book is especially recommended for those of you who would like to write better prose or to appreciate the craft of nonfiction writing more fully.
    • 5/5
      Who knew that a book about writing could be so much fun to read. Reading "Good Prose" was not only entertaining it also taught me a lot about what it takes to write great nonfiction. The authors give many examples that illustrate their points about proper form and style that will be very useful for any writer. Kidder and Todd also share anecdotes about their many years of working together and this made for a more personable and engaging read. I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed Kidder-and-Todd’s GOOD PROSE: THE ART OF NONFICTION (definitely five stars), where they argue “that the publishing industry is not organized to reward editors who spend a lot of time on books,” but I am surprised that they have nothing to say about MFA programs. “A writer should try to involve the editor early in the process,” they advise. “You don’t want a perfunctory involvement. You want investment.” This sounds to me like Good MFA Mentoring. They also state: “Even those who have been trained in a language of distance and irony toward everything institutional, and especially toward government, must feel from time to time that there is something that justifies thinking in Orwell’s terms….writers live most fully when their work moves beyond performance, beyond entertainment or information, beyond pleasing audience and editor, when it does all that and yet represents their most important beliefs.” The emphasis on “pleasing” brings to mind MY FAIR LADY with the writer Eliza Doolittle and the editor Henry Higgins.
    • 4/5
      While there are many books available on how to write, "Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction" is one of the most engaging and helpful books on writing that I have encountered. Tracy Kidder, a well-regarded nonfiction author, and Richard Todd, his longtime editor, not only provide excellent advice on writing, such as the importance of form and the role of the editor, but they also pepper the chapters with a selection of examples from Kidder's work and the work of other writers. These examples help underscore their points in a way that mere explanation never could (think of it as "showing" versus "telling" in writing).Additionally, Kidder and Todd both have a voice in the text, which allows the perspectives of the writer and the editor to have a presence. This duality is vital to the book's success. Although editing and writing are two sides to the same coin, editors and writers often take divergent approaches to a piece of text. Writers seek to protect the product of countless hours of research and writing while editors hope to get to the heart of the piece even if it comes at the expense of a much-loved paragraph. Having Kidder and Todd weigh in on the work of writing and editing give the book a sense of balance and provides insight into both processes.As michigantrumpet notes, this book is more of a master class rather than a primer in the basics of writing. However, this does not detract from its worth or usefulness. "Good Prose" is a great resource for writers, editors, and teachers, and I know I will use it with my English education students as they prepare to teach writing.
    • 4/5
      A writer and an editor together can form a powerful team. This book is the story of such a team, both as a collaborative approach to the various kinds of non-fiction, and as individuals who have learned to work with each other while maintaining their own viewpoints. It was a privilege to listen to two colleagues talk to one another about their mutual profession. It is a book of advice about different kinds of non-fiction, with the strengths and weaknesses of each form, and things to watch out for if you should choose to write an essay, or a memoir, or whatever, I very much enjoyed reading this book as a story of a collaboration, as well as the focus on kinds of non-fiction, and advice about grammar. It is well written, and quickly read.
    • 4/5
      I have been a BIG fan of Kidder's non-fiction. 'House', 'Among Schoolchildren', and 'Mountains Beyond Mountains', are among my favorite books. With 'Good Prose', Kidder and his longtime friend and editor, Todd, exchange stories and share their views as to what constitutes good prose writing. They offer many examples, good and bad, from both their own writing and that of others. Loved when I recognized takes from writing I know and appreciate. I was intrigued enough to investigate further when introduced to writing I didn't know. The breathtakingly beautiful 'The Color of a Sound' haunts me still. This is less a nuts-and-bolts primer, and more like a very good masters class. It is daunting to write a review about book on good prose - laying bare all my own weaknesses. For Kidder and Todd, I'm happy to join in the plaudits with a hearty 'huzzah'. I loved this book for making me a better writer and reader.
    • 5/5
      In 1973, Tracy Kidder was a young freelancer, looking for his first assignment at the prestigious The Atlantic Monthly in Boston. Fortuitously, Kidder was paired with editor Richard Todd to guide his story about a murder trial -- a story Kidder naively thought of as the next In Cold Blood but other editors were ready to dismiss -- from early drafts to publication. This early partnership led to one of the most productive couplings of editor and writer today and a deep friendship between the two men. In Good Prose, Kidder and Todd share the lessons on writing they’ve learned through 40 years of collaboration and offer their thoughts on three major forms of nonfiction -- narratives, essays, and memoirs -- as well as narrative strategies, the challenges of objectivity and subjectivity, and the ethics of writing nonfiction. When I first started reading Good Prose, I thought that perhaps it was a book best read by other writers. But after finishing, I think Good Prose really is a book that is worth reading by anyone who likes to read about writing and wants to learn about the craft of narrative nonfiction, as Kidder and Todd point out in their introduction:"Good Prose is mainly a practical book, the product of years of experiment in three types of prose: writing about the world, writing about ideas, and writing about the self. To put this another way, this book is a product of our attempts to write and to edit essays, memoirs, and factual narratives. We presume to offer advice, even the occasional rule, remembering that our pronouncements are things we didn’t always know but learned by attempted to solve problems in prose. For us, these things learned are in themselves the story of a collaboration and a friendship. "It’s possible a book like this one could have felt very prescriptive, but Kidder and Todd help alleviate some of the how-to manual feel by included these charming digressions to talk in detail about their writing process or times when they were led astray. One of my favorites was the story of how they came to find the structure of Kidder’s most recent book, Strength in What Remains, a rather circuitous process that makes it clear even the best writers go through a few terrible first drafts. The digressions added both levity and a demonstrated expertise that elevated the book from writing manual to a good read in and of itself. Another fabulous section -- particularly for readers curious about the ethics of nonfiction -- was a discussion of subjectivity included in the chapter “Beyond Accuracy.” This is, truly, one of my favorite paragraphs from the entire book:"But subjectivity properly understood is really just another name for through. Subjectivity simply acknowledges the presence of a mediator between the facts and the truth. That mediator is you, the writer. Acknowledging subjectivity absolves you of nothing. On the contrary, it makes you the one who has to explore the facts, discover what you can of the truth, and find the way to render that truth in prose -- knowing as you look for the way to do this that you cannot be complete, that every inclusion implies countless exclusions, that you must strive to do no violence to those facts and those truths that competed for your attention."That’s just so clear and concise and too the point, and perfect explanation of why subjectivity is inherently part of narrative nonfiction, but that it shouldn’t threaten the accuracy or truth of the story the writer is trying to tell. I could go on for pages, I’m sure, talking about all of the wonderful moments in this book. I just found the whole thing delightful and thoughtful, and appreciated how much it helped me think about my on reading and writing a little differently. I can’t recommend this one enough for nonfiction readers and writers who want to learn more about the craft.
    • 4/5
      If you imagine yourself a writer, you should read this book. Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd (his editor) join to give the reader a wealth of information and tips about writing - especially focused on non-fiction. The book is well organized and references many successful writers. The authors start with how important a first sentence is and end with the editing process. So much information. Very well done.
    • 5/5
      I gave this book my highest rating, because it passed one test - when I finished I knew I would read it again. Even if you don't want to write non-fiction, It's a book that any serious reader of non-fiction would enjoy reading because it definitely enhances critical acuity. The co-author structure - Kidder being the highly well-respected author and Todd being his long-time editor - definitely works well, as they present both sides of the picture in an atmosphere of high respect and regard. Over all, it's a short book, very readable, full of wisdom, and well worth reading..
    • 4/5
      As noted in another review, GOOD PROSE, by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd is not a "how to" book on writing nonfiction, though the subtitle is "The Art of Non-Fiction." What it is closest to is a collection of essays on such subjects as: Beginnings, Story, Point-of-View, Memiors, and The Problem of Style. Section 9 is a bit like their own, mini version of Strunk and White. Each section starts with a page or several pages of italicized text with TK or RT at the end, then the essay or musings on the subject. Kidder and Todd, primarily an editor, have worked forever, yet each each of the sections preceded by the italicized text and TK are quite different from the sections preceded by the italicized text and RK. The parts written by Richard Todd are interesting and solidly written, those by Tracy Kidder are usually more interesting and much more likely to elicit a "wow" by the reader in response to beautiful writing or a new way of looking at something. Tracy's thoughts on "quiet beginnings" are especially facinating.The italicized parts are often glimpses into the relationship between the men and glimpses of their respective views on the writing life. Very shortly into the book, I came to anticipate a higher level of enjoyment as I started each italicized part.So, is this a book worth reading? If you keep in mind that this isn't a treatise on non-fiction, then yes it is. (Much of their advice is relevant to fiction as well.) It is interesting always and facinating often. Like most books on writing, each reader will learn new things and be reminded of those things already known.
    • 3/5
      This is about the art of writing non-fiction, written by the long time duo of Tracy Kidder (a Pulitzer Prize winner) and his long suffering and brilliant editor, Richard Todd. While it's best suited to writers, as an avid reader, I found this insiders look into a craft that I greatly admire but cannot hope to try my hand at extremely interesting. These guys have decades of stories to tell, and plenty of wisdom to share. Many of the books they have mentioned in this book of theirs have now been added to my TBR list as well.
    • 3/5
      There are many, many books on writing out there these days that it almost feels like most successful authors try their hands at it. That said, each one seems to have bits of useful information and "Good Prose" is no exception. Although this book targets the nonfiction writer, I felt the common-sense, "nuts and bolts" information on structure, word choice and grammar were very helpful and germane for any style of writing. But pretty much all of the "tips" one could get from the grammar bible they tout so highly, "Modern English Usage" by H.W. Fowler. In fact, on explaining when to use "which" or "that," the note is pretty much "See Fowler." Okay, if I wanted to read Fowler, I would have done just that. But it was enlightening to read about the overwrought, overused and poor word/grammar choices many writers make from an editor's point of view (in the "Notes on Usage" section at the end). Also, I loved when Kidder/Todd used examples of great writing from published nonfiction books, but there was not enough of them. I wish there had been more on structure and "good prose" than the many, many tangents on the Kidder-author/Todd-editor relationship. Although it is a friendship that spans decades and may make a good book in its own right, I felt that it just went on-and-on-and-on in that capacity, and it is something few modern writers will get to experience. The title of the book made me think it was about teaching writers to write good nonfiction and it was only partially that. Also, the reality is finding a friend/editor relationship like that is HARD business in contemporary publishing and most writers simply cannot. So there wasn't much information on how to break into the nonfiction world TODAY. The core was find a great editor (or find a great agent who will lead you to a great editor), deal with the ups/downs of marketing (i.e., they know what they are doing, or so we are told) and just do it, but not how. But that was sure a lot easier to do at a publication like Atlantic Monthly in the '60s, when print was king and a telephone call actually meant something. The market is not even recognizable to that, nor is the editor/author relationship. In any event, it was a nostalgic look at all of that, interesting how Kidder worked through all of his hurdles to create some of the best nonfiction out there; and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read and review this book.