Ben Yagoda

There's some absolutely great stuff in here. Particularly interesting is the great battle between ASCAP (the old guard) and BMI. It's hard to believe how reactionary these guys were. Rather ironic that you could write a song like "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" and then complain about "Hound Dog" and "Yakety Yak." You'd think that, even if the composers had a problem with all the three chord songs, the lyricists would at least grasp the wit of some of these tunes. Anyway, the book is mostly successful, but the last chapter, which tries to wrap up all the great songwriters since Bacharach certainly fails--not only because it's an impossibly large task, but because it fails to get at one of the most important features of songwriting since the tin Pan Alley days: that you don't have to write love songs, novelty songs, or songs for the plot of some Broadway or Hollywood production. You can write "It's Alright, Ma," or "Lucifer Sam" or "Venus In Furs" or "A Day in the Life" or "Cabinessence."… (more)

There's some absolutely great stuff in here. Particularly interesting is the great battle between ASCAP (the old guard) and BMI. It's hard to believe how reactionary these guys were. Rather ironic that you could write a song like "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" and then complain about "Hound Dog" and "Yakety Yak." You'd think that, even if the composers had a problem with all the three chord songs, the lyricists would at least grasp the wit of some of these tunes. Anyway, the book is mostly successful, but the last chapter, which tries to wrap up all the great songwriters since Bacharach certainly fails--not only because it's an impossibly large task, but because it fails to get at one of the most important features of songwriting since the tin Pan Alley days: that you don't have to write love songs, novelty songs, or songs for the plot of some Broadway or Hollywood production. You can write "It's Alright, Ma," or "Lucifer Sam" or "Venus In Furs" or "A Day in the Life" or "Cabinessence."… (more)

Books about writing offer varied advice and often contradict themselves. Should everyone write like Hemingway? Is it ok to diverge from Strunk and White’s style? How can I inject personality into writing without putting off my audience (or my editor)? These are common issues for writers, especially new or aspiring ones, and Ben Yagoda has decided to address them. He has interviewed and compiled results on acclaimed writers from many fields, genres, and styles. He presents his findings and garnered insights in this book.

He divides his investigation into two parts: history and practice. The historical facet is interesting because it captures how style changes over time. Without a grasp of the past, it’s hard to figure out why we got here and how to move forward. At times, this section can involve a lot of names that I’m frankly unfamiliar with, but Yagoda offers erudite insights about topics like how speech and writing mingle or how modern writing should marry the heart and the head.

The section on practice is filled with transcripts of interviews from great authors. Yagoda himself is not the main driving force here as much as the questioner. The variety of writers this second-half deep and wide. Its meatiest chapter is about forms and genres; in 58 pages, that chapter looks at an interview with one-or-more expert in each writing form – personal essays, stories, poetry, online, etc. – and discusses how that person gained a remarkable style.

This book seems most suited towards writers in an educational degree program, but newer writers on their own can benefit from the self-discipline of reading Yagoda’s words. He concludes by noting that the cultivation of a writing style occurs throughout an entire life. It accompanies the building of inner strength and is most enhanced through reading, not practice. Thus, even experienced writers (and middle-aged fogeys like myself!) can benefit from his studied expertise. My authorship will benefit from the rich tapestry of quotations noted here.… (more)