F ads may come and go, but criticizing academics for their bad writing never goes out of style. With headlines such as “Why Academics Stink at Writing,” “Why Academics Revel in Bad Writing,” and “Why ...

It happens once a year or so. A student will suggest that we study something that is badly written. “I know,” she’ll say, “Let’s read Twilight!” While I recognize this as a ploy, a way to get credit ...

Vice in America: The New Issue of NR Is Out The Health of American Democracy Isn’t Measured in ‘Free’ Stuff We Cannot Be Casual About Antisemitism Sneer and Grifting at the 2025 National Book Awards ...

We are graduating bad writers. Despite increases in the number of students finishing high school and enrolling in four-year colleges, poor writing is ubiquitous. Students with subpar writing skills ...

Like any worthwhile pursuit, all good writing begins with a goal. If you don’t know yours, rest assured readers won’t, either. Before you begin, ask: “What do I aim to accomplish? What specific ...

Mark felt his beach chair floating as he scrutinized the intricate whorls of his thumbprint like a gobsmacked philatelist, trying to capture the curlicue patterns with repeated impressions in the wet ...

National Novel Writing Month—usually shortened to NaNoWriMo—is an annual creative writing event in which participants set out to write a 50,000-word draft of a novel in the month of November. More ...

We are living in the Golden Age of Bad Writing Instruction. Mind you, the teaching of writing has always been problematic in the K-12 world. If you are of a Certain Age (i.e. mine) you may have fond ...

If you’ve got a story to tell, tell the story. No need to dress it up in a tutu. Many moons ago, my late friend John Van Doorn strolled ‘round the newsroom flashing a $5 bill, promising it to whoever ...