50 years of Strunk & White

The elements of style (3rd edition, 1979) lurks on the shelf near my dictionaries and style guides. Some of its specific advice on grammar is weird, so it’s not a useful reference book. But as an argument for clarity in writing it’s wonderful.

White’s reworking of William Strunk’s original little book appeared in 1959, and was a publishing hit. Its anniversary has been marked by a new commemorative edition, and a flurry of comment.

American National Public Radio broadcast a couple of pieces about the book - one laudatory, the other critical. The critical one is an interview with Geoffrey Pullum, whose writings on Language Log are always good. The elements of style is a regular subject for criticism on Language Log.

While I agree with the language loggers that Strunk and White’s elements of style is flawed, I think that Robert Bringhurst’s elements of typographic style is a wonderful piece of work and deserves its place beside my bed.