Craft and Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues

by Kavita Das

The first major book for writers to more effectively engage with complex socio-political issues—a critical first step in creating social change

Writers are witnesses and scribes to society’s conscience but writing about social issues in the twenty-first century requires a new, sharper toolkit. Craft and Conscience helps writers weave together their narrative craft, analytical and research skills, and their conscience to create prose which makes us feel the individual and collective impact of crucial issues of our time. Kavita Das guides writers to take on nuanced perspectives and embrace intentionality through a social justice lens. She challenges writers to unpack their motivations for writing about an issue and to understand that “writing, irrespective of genre or outlet, is an act of political writing,” regardless of intention.

The book includes essays from a fascinating mix of authors, including James Baldwin, Alexander Chee, Kaitlyn Greenidge, George Orwell, Roxane Dunbar-Ortiz, Gaiutra Bahadur, Jaquira Díaz, and Imani Perry. By including Das’s own perspective and those of the featured writers about motivations and approaches to writing about fraught social issues, this book both demystifies the process of engaging social issues on the page, and underscores the intentionality and sensitivity that must go into the work.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Crafts

344 pages, Paperback

Published October 4, 2022

About the author

Kavita Das writes about culture, race, feminism, and their intersections. Nominated for a 2016 Pushcart Prize, Kavita’s work has been published in Tin House, Longreads, The Atlantic, Off Assignment, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Washington Post, Kenyon Review, NBC News Asian America, Guernica, Quartz, McSweeney’s, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. Her first book, Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar, a biography about the Grammy-nominated Hindustani singer, who played a pivotal role in bringing Indian music to the West, was released in June 2019 (Harper Collins India).

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Toni Morrison said (and Kavita Das quotes in this book), “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” I couldn’t have written anything like what I wanted from a social issues craft book, so I was happy to find Das had.

The book is insightful and thought provoking and all I could have wanted from such a book—if not more. Of course learning about such a craft doesn’t stop with one book, but Das also lays out a path forward, which I will be sure to follow.

My only complaint is the collection of essays were so good I often forgot to pay attention to the lessons they carried on the craft. But that’s on me for having never read some of these wonderful writers.

[Claire Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das’s book is a thoughtful exploration of the sensitive dynamics behind writing about social issues with cultural sensitivity, and prowess of craft.
Das utilizes the wisdom of a wide variety of brilliant authors to construct her point, including essays from James Baldwin, Alexander Chee, Kaitlyn Greenidge, George Orwell, Roxane Dunbar-Ortiz, Gaiutra Bahadur, Jaquira Díaz, and Imani Perry. The essays included are a fundamental part of the book. By intertwining Das’s own point of view, and those of the featured authors, this book simultaneously demystifies the process of writing on social issues, and emphasizes the absolute importance of being intentional and sensitive when doing so. Towards the beginning of each chapter, she highlights excerpts from the texts she includes to help illuminate the lessons she gives. By doing so, she constructs a helpful outline to better help her readers find greater meaning in the lengthy essays she includes. Her effort to include many perspectives strongly highlights the fact that in order to write about social issues, you must be open to listening to the opinions of others. She is truly leading by example in this sense.( I will say, my only criticism of this book would be that there are sections where Das’s assumption of the reader's political and social opinions can be rather binary, especially in segments where it might have benefited her to be a bit more discerning of the possible scope of opinions one may hold. )
Regardless, this book is wonderful, because it holds practical, useful knowledge that writers with little experience in writing on social issues, like me, can utilize. For creatives in their early development, reading this book will be such a helpful tool. I know at least for myself, the intersectionality of creative endeavors and activism is not a topic I have often explored. Frankly, it is quite intimidating, complex, and can lead to a lot of anxiety. But this conversation is so necessary! Separately, the craft of writing, and social issues are consistently on my mind in my day to day life, and my attention is always sparked when they run parallel to each other. Das’s book, however, explores how they interact, and how ultimately, in her words, “Cultural sensitivity is a matter of respect for cultural identity but also a matter of good writing craft.” This may seem like a very obvious, perhaps juvenile statement, but it unlocked something new in my writing identity, and I am confident I will carry this sentiment with me wherever my writing journey will take me.

This book, I am sure, was an incredibly intimidating undertaking, because she is attempting, (And succeeding, in my opinion) to completely demystify a subject that is imperative to understand in the current culture. In this digital age, social media platforms have created a general dynamic where everyone feels not only comfortable, but justified, to form and push their opinions on others, about others. There is an undeniable pressure to add to the online narrative when influential or disastrous world events occur. It doesn't matter if you actually have something to add to the conversation, or you even understand what you are posting about, just speak up. Speak up, post, comment, share. The issue here lies in society’s ability to grossly generalize, and to leave sensitivity and intentionality as a thing of the past.
I believe that Das’s message is one that is overwhelmingly relevant for these internet activists to internalize. Of course, internet activism does not have the bandwidth for depth that other forms of activism can achieve. However, I will say this: As a twenty-one year old completely entrenched in the digital world, the massive effect that internet activism already has will only continue to compound in coming years, and it is raising a generation of people that NEED TO READ THIS BOOK before taking their opinions to the net. Even if you are not a writer, the way you craft your online opinions, and the level of sensitivity behind them, is so important, and this book is an amazing tool to help you be conscious of this.

[Gemma James]

Kavita Das begins Craft and Conscience by posing the question “Is all writing political?” This question serves as the center of the teachings provided. Das focuses on writing for social change, as she believes that all writing does have political meaning and social ramifications, regardless of intent.

Das argues that all writing is political because it is irreversibly intertwined with the writer’s identity (including experiences, biases, etc.) and the situation surrounding the writing. As a result, at a basic level, Das argues that all writing speaks to the politics of the world because it either reflects the systematic issues and inequalities surrounding the work or rejects them. Das begs the reader to become more conscious of how their writing is political and how they can write with more awareness and employ certain strategies to create their intention (hopefully, inspiring social change).

One of the strategies employed is understanding the balance between subject and reader or narrative and context. A focus on each of these respective topics is important to do the subject justice while also maintaining an interesting and compelling storyline that readers are likely to pick up or continue to read. However, the amount of focus on the subject vs reader or narrative vs context is dependent on the type of writing, the subject, and the author. To provide an example of this, Das inputs a handy visual graph featuring an xy chart with these factors on each axis. This is great for visual learners.

For each topic that Das introduces, various examples from essays or stories are provided. These essays and stories are both written by Das herself or other authors. I personally enjoyed these, as they provided a great example of what Das had just been explaining. That being said, I did find it hard to stay engaged with these examples sometimes, especially since they make up over half of the writing within the book. Das already briefly references the example in her teachings before providing the full excerpt of the essay, so I knew what to look for in the essay and I enjoyed finding these strategies throughout the essays provided. Yet, I found the huge chunks of essays to occasionally be lengthy and sometimes distracting from the main point of the chapter.

One thing that Das touched on that I personally found interesting was the segment on “who gets to write what”. Here, Das explored whether or not you might be the right writer for a topic. For example, if you are writing about a social justice issue that does not affect you personally, or an identity that you do not belong to, do you still have the right to write about this? And how can one do so mindfully? I really enjoyed this chapter because this is a topic that I’ve pondered myself. In my own writing, most of my characters share my identities or take on a very generic identity, in my own fear of upsetting or offending others. It’s not that I wouldn’t write other identities mindfully and respectfully, but more so that I’m afraid of messing up nonetheless. As a result, I never really knew if I was allowed to write about identities that are not my own, or how I should feel about other authors writing about my identity. The conclusion that Das comes to is one that I agree with: anyone can write about any identity but it’s important to ensure that this writing is well researched and avoids stereotypes. To do this, it is important to seek help from the community you’re writing about, such as having a proofreader from that community. That being said, a writer who does not share a background or identity with what they are writing will never be able to write the topic as well as a writer from that identity, regardless of how much research or intention goes into it.

[Natalya Prindle]

All of my knowledge surrounding writing has been through educators and assigned reading. While taking a course at community college, I was assigned to write a social-economic-political research paper that had to be over 14 pages. I don’t believe we were assigned any articles or writing-based resources during that class. Our example mostly came from that of past student papers. I think, if given the chance to re-take the class, I think I would’ve benefited more had they also assigned this book alongside the paper. I found this book contained a lot of insight into writing in a very unique way. I was worried going into this book because non-fiction/how-to books intimidate me. I usually tend to find them difficult and give up quickly. I knew I would have to have the motivation before starting. So I turned to my handy-dandy Libby app to find the audiobook version and started this book. I think that version was the way to go because this book looked dense. Nonetheless, I was committed to liking at least something(s) about it. I was genuinely trying to come out the other side more enlightened. I managed to accomplish both. Each chapter averaged 50 -100 pages which was over an hour of listening. I physically read along when I had a spare minute.
I ended up enjoying this book! I felt like I got to learn so much about writing while hearing it from not only the authors but many other diverse activist perspectives. I only recognized three names, and I never would’ve guessed to be George Orwell an activist. Their works are all written so beautifully and with a lot of passion. It makes me want to read more of their writing and research more about their careers and what community goals they're trying to achieve. I don’t know if I would’ve made the effort to get to know these writers, had it not been for Craft and Conscience. I enjoy listening to works of diverse authors because they are important too. They usually view the world through a different lens and it's amazing. When I was listening to the book, was like listening to a cozy NPR station. It felt smooth, like it was easy to fall into, which made it easier for me to digest.
I enjoyed learning about the different types of writing styles and saw how the authors made their essays memorable and impactful. From what I gathered from everyone’s stories as a collective, there is an intimacy to this type of writing. Which I haven’t achieved so I will not be writing a social-political essay soon. There is still a lot more writing, learning, and reading for me to experience. I’m still at the baby step in my writing journey. What I mostly write in, is a journal. And I will share some of my work but not all. I can usually write about my day better than when it comes to writing about my feelings. That is usually when I get stumped or avoid writing altogether. It is a form of vulnerability that I am okay with putting off for a little bit longer. When it comes to school projects, I feel more confident and willingness with wanting to share my writing. I hope that every couple of years, I can return to Das’ words and remind myself of how my writing can make a difference or even change someone else's perspective. This book will be staying on my bookshelf long-term. I look forward to picking it up again soon.

[Matthew Gelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kavita Das's "Craft and Conscience" offers a compelling exploration of the intersection between artistic creation and ethical responsibility. Das, a thoughtful and eloquent writer, delves into the complex landscapes where creativity meets social consciousness, providing readers with a nuanced perspective on the ethical considerations that permeate the world of art.
The book's strength lies in its ability to traverse diverse artistic realms, from literature and visual arts to music and performance. Das skillfully examines the ethical dilemmas faced by artists as they navigate the fine line between creative expression and societal impact. Drawing on a rich tapestry of case studies and interviews with artists, she illuminates the challenges and responsibilities inherent in the act of creation.
One of the standout features of "Craft and Conscience" is Das's examination of cultural appropriation and sensitivity. Through insightful analyses and real-world examples, she explores the blurred boundaries between appreciation and appropriation, urging artists and consumers alike to reflect on the impact of their creative choices. Das approaches the subject with a delicate balance, acknowledging the complexity of cultural exchange while emphasizing the importance of respecting and understanding the origins of artistic inspiration.
The book's exploration of the ethical dimensions of storytelling and representation is particularly thought-provoking. Das delves into the responsibilities writers bear in depicting characters and cultures, emphasizing the power dynamics embedded in narrative choices. Her examination of the consequences of misrepresentation and the potential for positive change through ethical storytelling adds depth to the ongoing conversation about diversity and inclusion in the arts.
Das's writing is accessible, blending scholarly insights with a conversational tone that engages readers from diverse backgrounds. The inclusion of personal anecdotes and reflections enhances the book's relatability, inviting readers to connect with the subject matter on a more personal level. The author successfully avoids a prescriptive tone, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions and fostering an environment of critical thinking.
While the book offers a comprehensive exploration of the ethical considerations within the arts, some readers may find themselves wishing for a more in-depth analysis of certain topics. The breadth of coverage, while commendable, occasionally limits the depth of discussion on specific issues. Nonetheless, Das provides a valuable entry point into the multifaceted relationship between art and ethics.
In conclusion, "Craft and Conscience" is a thought-provoking and timely examination of the ethical dimensions of artistic expression. Kavita Das's insightful exploration of cultural sensitivity, representation, and the impact of creative choices makes this book a valuable resource for artists, consumers, and anyone interested in the dynamic interplay between craft and conscience. As society grapples with questions of responsibility and accountability in the arts, Das's work stands as a compelling guide for navigating the complex terrain where artistic expression and ethical considerations intersect.

[Theron Hassi]

Review for Class: “Craft and Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues” by Kavita Das

“Craft and Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues” by Kavita Das is a collection of essays, both by herself and others, and accompanying commentary or analysis. The book is based upon the argument that Das asserts at the beginning of the book: all writing is political. Thus, writing on social issues must be done with intention and the awareness that said writing will have an impact on the world around us. In writing with conscience one will encounter different quandaries or dilemmas that will ask the writer to consider their craft and the decisions they make in producing their writing. This is what the book is focused on. The book is split into seven chapters, each one focusing on a different one of these issues. By the end of the book, a framework is formed in the mind of the reader of how to write with the knowledge of your impact in a myriad manners.

Much of the book focuses on how we tell stories. Following a discussion of the political nature of writing, and how that is imbued in the reasons one writes, Das goes on to bring up an eternal issue in writing, the balance between the reader and the subject. What is meant by this is that all writing exists on a spectrum of doing justice to the subject on one end, and on the other, creating a compelling/interesting piece of writing for the reader. Context vs narrative. This continues into the next chapter with the discussion of whether or not we should be “Diving in deep or casting wide.” In both of these cases, the correct level of balance is unique to each writer and each piece of writing which is depicted through the essays provided. The next chapter deals this time with the perspective stories are told from, whether inside or outside, personal or reported, and if there exists some middle ground, a hybrid mixing the internal emotions and experiences with the external factual, objective, journalistic coverage. A dilemma that I found extremely relevant in my own writing. The next chapter that seemingly follows in theme is chapter six, rather than chapter five, which discusses who is the right one to tell a story. Chapters five and seven feel the least connected, covering opinion editorials and the impact of writing respectively, however, chapter seven does offer a good ending point.

The one issue I had with the book was that the analysis that was offered at the beginning of each chapter by Kavita Das felt like it went on too long. Reading all of what was written in those intros made reading the essays that they just analyzed really repetitive and boring. This got to the point where I stopped reading the intros anytime they began to quote or analyze the essays, only returning to skim them after reading the essays. Other than that, I enjoyed the book and found the points brought up to be quite helpful in thinking about my own writing.

[alexis]

As a writer, you must be aware of the implications of publishing your work. This is especially important when tackling social issues. Our motivations, our identity, and our proximity to the issue affect how we write about it. “Craft and Conscience” aims to help writers who might be still searching for their “why” or connection to the issue they are so passionate about. This book is also a helpful guide to writers who may have reservations concerning writing about identities beyond their own. Ultimately, how do we write about certain topics and people with the care and respect they deserve?

I tend to lean towards a yes when Kavita Das begins chapter one with the question, “Is all writing political?” I do not think anyone could ever say that they have never written anything political. Whether we realize it or not, every piece of writing carries some level of political undertone, as it reflects our perspectives and beliefs. Even the most mundane topics can be infused with political implications, making it crucial for writers to be aware of the power their words hold (this is why we must approach writing about other identities with sensitivity and care).

Each chapter takes a deep dive into a certain issue in the writing world: the “why” of writing, opinion pieces, cultural appropriation, etc. Das also explores journalism and the genre of biography in her discussion of reporting the truth vs infusing personal narratives into a piece of work. There are about four short stories or essays in every chapter written by Das and other writers. They are meant to complement the main idea but end up supplanting the chapter entirely. The stories are incredibly engaging, but I often found myself completely forgetting what Das was trying to convey in her analysis of some aspects of the writing world. It would have been more effective if the stories were shorter and used as brief illustrations to support the main ideas rather than overshadowing them.

The piece that stuck with was Alexander Chee’s “How to Unlearn Everything When It Comes to Writing ‘The Other,’ What Questions Are We Not Asking?” Alexander gives excellent advice to writers who may want to tackle an issue that is far from their identity. Recently, I was given the opportunity to review a short story by an unpublished author. This author is a white male who has been sitting with a story about a young female college student. The book tackles sexual assault and mental health. I have reservations about helping him because his identity and status is so far from the main protagonist. How could he ever understand, and why does he want to? I hope he does not feel offended if I send him Chee’s essay.

Anyway, my curiosity about other authors mentioned in between occasionally distracted me from my overall enjoyment of Kavita Das's book, but overall, it was still a worthwhile read.

[Yesphir · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the books that we read through in my, “Writing about ourselves and others” class. Interestingly enough, the readings for this book were spread out throughout the quarter so it was both one of the first books we read and the last book we finished reading in the course.
Personally, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book. The reason behind this is that I didn’t like the structure of having essays in a novel. I will admit this is definitely not the best reason for not liking a book, yet it is the truthful reason as to why I didn’t like this novel. Having the essays in the book just felt disingenuous to a degree for me. I appreciated how the author introduced the essays and then connected them to the overall idea of the chapter, that it felt somewhat unnecessary to have the essays in full in the novel itself. After reading through the essays, given that they are a separate piece of writing, I noticed that I would forget how the essays connected to the chapter since my brain had switched to the main focus of the individual essay and that would diminish the quality of the reading experience as a whole. This also might have had an unexpected negative effect on my overall comprehension of the topics covered in the novel.
The topics covered in this novel felt quite broad. I will admit I’m not sure if this was due in part to the inclusion of the essays or the fact that the readings were quite spread out throughout the course, or a combination of both, but that was how it felt for me as I read through the novel. Looking back at all the chapters, I can vaguely remember what each chapter on its own covered, yet when trying to connect all the chapters into one comprehensive main idea, I find it quite difficult to do so.
Overall, I think this is definitely a novel worth reading at least once. Yet, I will advise any of those interested in reading this novel to approach this novel as something that will be an investment of your time and energy. To be able to get as much out of this novel as possible, I highly encourage taking notes as you read through the content. By taking this approach, it will allow you to truly enjoy the novel as you will be able to keep track of what you have read and thus be able to see the main idea unfold.

[GM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Craft and Conscience by Kavita Das takes a different approach from your typical writing guide, and a big part of that is thanks to the inclusion of example essays. These essays serve as practical illustrations, giving the weighty topic of social issues writing a down-to-earth feel.
Tackling the difficulties of social justice writing can be a bit like navigating a complicated maze. But Das eases you into it by integrating real-world essays throughout the book. These aren't just any essays; they cover a range of social issues, providing a diverse showcase of writing styles and perspectives.

These essays act as a roadmap, guiding you through the theoretical discussions and offering a tangible application of the concepts at hand. It's less like a lecture and more like a practical workshop. It is very easy to discuss the contents in this book because of how the essays and Das’s commentary ropes you in for discussion and extra thinking of what you are reading. The variety in the topics covered is a plus, whether it's immigration or racial injustice, these essays give you a view on different perspectives of social issues. And it's not just about the subjects; it's about seeing how different writers approach these issues. It's like having a large selection of mentors, each showing you a different angle.

The best part was that these essays make the book more relatable. Das acknowledges that writing about social issues is serious, and he guides you through what it is. You're not just learning the do's and don'ts; you're seeing them in action. It's a "show, don't tell" approach that makes the book more comprehensible. This is important in a book that you are trying to gain from because many times with books like these you just read it and are not sure what it would look like. Das does not lack in that case at all.

The topic of social issue writing can be a tad overwhelming. But with these example essays, Das takes away some of the stress. It's not a lecture hall experience; it's more like a casual conversation. The book becomes less of a manual and more of a companion, thanks to the real-world stories woven through it. Craft and Conscience becomes a more approachable guide, thanks to these example essays. They're not there to hype you up; they're there to show you the ropes in a laid-back, practical way. So, if you're looking for a guide that feels less like a lecture and more like a conversation, this is a great place to start.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kavita Das explores writing in all facets with this book asking us why we write or why anyone does for that matter. Why should we write and does our writing matter? Simple questions that one must answer themselves before they can effectively write what they want. Das wants us to remain aware of what our voice can do because she believes our voice is so much stronger than we believe our own is. This isn't a book meant for big writers with large voices, though they can certainly learn something from it, it's for small writers and aspirants, for them to pick up more meaningful writing practices and thought practices from. Das uses big name authors to show that we are not alone, and to teach from them, very similarly to David Mura's "A Stranger's Journey". Some may disagree with Das' points about how if one has not experienced something first hand it is best to write from a reporting perspective or to talk to someone who has, and at some point in my life I may have too. But I think it is genuinely good advice because while not impossible to accurately depict certain parts of something without having experienced it with enough research, the worst things I have ever read were from writers trying to depict something they had never experienced. Even just having one friend read something over and taking their advice on what you can depict better will make the scene(s) that much better. And avoid offending or disturbing your audience, because I promise it does not have to be something someone experiences personally to disturb them too. I have been disturbed by many writings about characters I was not like purely because I could tell how bad the writing was. If I were to comment on one thing in this book that I think would make it better for me is if there was a way to distinguish between Das' voice and someone else's easier. Sometimes I have a hard time figuring out when things stop, but that might be a just me thing. This book is still a great read with plenty of advice on how to improve your writing and make it more welcoming to all.

[Jeongwoo Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Craft and conscience, Kavita Das talks about how to engage more effectively about topics that are related to social issues and includes many of her analyses for certain works. I think Das is telling us that many things that define you as a person, such as political opinions, personal experiences, assumptions, etc, will shape writers’ works that are related to social issues (not just about social issues, but anything that’s personal) and how they can contribute to your own work. Throughout the entire book, Das included many other writings written by various authors and analyzed how these writers approached some sensitive topics. Perhaps Das was also trying to convey her point that including your own personal experiences and thoughts in your writing can make your work so entertaining and powerful. I personally do not like the fact that Das included way too many different authors’ works; it somewhat distracted me from what Das truly wanted us to analyze, but it does not change the fact that writers should not be discouraged to include their personal thoughts and be allowed to write about whoever and whatever they want, even if it is a topic they are not familiar with.

[Aubrianna Hohmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Craft and Conscience by Kavita Das was incredibly valuable in my journey as a writer. From the beginning, Das poses the question “Is all writing political?” (p. 1) and by the end I found that writing is always political and is inseparable from sociopolitical issues. I love this book and I believe that every aspiring writer, in any genre or field, should read it. There can be no craft without conscience.

The logical structure of this book greatly enhanced my reading experience. Each chapter explores a specific feature, or consideration, of writing. In the beginning of each chapter, Das concisely, yet effectively, presents key takeaways and arguments followed by three to five short literary examples, some of which are her own work, that serve as evidence of these socially conscious ideas in practice. Her choice of authors to feature was excellent and all these pieces were individually powerful. Some pieces that were particularly impactful to me include Orwell’s “Why I Write,” James Baldwin’s “Autobiographical Notes,” from Notes of a Native Son, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s “Introduction: This Land,” from An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, Gaiutra Bahadur’s “How Could I Write About Women Whose Existence Is Barely Acknowledged?”, Das’ “COVID-19 Vaccine: What White Conservatives Can Learn from Black Americans,” Jacquira Díaz’s “La Otra,” from Ordinary Girls, and Gabrielle Bellot’s “Stepping on a star,” from We Wear the Mask. The diversity of texts inserted grounded this book and offered a range of perspectives that can help many writers feel seen while awaiting entrance into the literary sphere. I now feel a lot more empowered to write autobiographically, knowing that I have a unique view that must be expressed and is inevitability political.
At the same time, approaching social issues cannot be done ignorantly. We must write with a conscience of those most impacted by the topic and our audience in mind. Das discusses how “there is a natural tension between the writer’s responsibility to the reader and their responsibility to the subject” and uses a x and y axis to visually such tension (p. 38). I was also enlightened in how many ways a writer can write about the same subject, revealing new truths each time.

In Chapter 3 I gained a better understanding of the considerations I must make when deciding how much context is necessary and relevant to my story. I tend to get caught up on context when sometimes it may be compromising an effective narrative. Das emphasized the importance of accessibility, saying that “jargon is exclusionary to lay readers” (p. 71). If the goal is to make our work easily understood by a variety of people, we should get straight to the point rather than getting carried up on trivial details and background information.

There is a lot that can be discussed in this book so I will end here for the sake of brevity. This is definitely an important read and I would recommend it to any emerging writers.

[Pat Loughery]

Reallly good, but I need to revisit this in print.