I hate top ten lists…
…but I wish I had written this one. Here’s a tidbit: 1 Write shorter. Why it matters. Readers are impatient and will give up on your blog post, email, or document before you’ve made your point. Every extra word makes readers antsy. Why you write long. It’s far easier to type than to edit. So people just keep adding things. How to…
Latest Scholarship on the Exodus
I’m proud to have participated in Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s AlumniLearn program this spring. Here is a video of the presentation I did with my colleague, Dr. Christine Neal Thomas.
Why I Love (Jewish) Books
I lack my mother’s talent at crafty things. My childhood cross-stitches were uneven. Crocheting made my fingers hurt. And knitting? A non-starter. But I do enjoy the results of her work, and my favorite is a pinwheel quilt she made for me many years ago — out of book fabric. It’s big. I love to disappear beneath its folds on…
I want to be William Germano when I grow up
William Germano’s books beautifully illustrate good non-fiction writing, at the same time they tell us how to write it and how to publish it. That alone makes them worth the read. In both of these volumes, he masterfully creates a narrative voice and shows (not tells) us about his subject matter. I had fun reading his books. I learned important…
This Year You Write Your Novel
My husband saw me reading this book and said, “Please tell me you’re not thinking of writing a novel…” After a moment’s reflection on the fun to be had by letting him think I was, I explained why I was taking this little detour into the world of fiction. (The book is only 100 pages long and a very quick…
Sin and Syntax
Never will you have so much fun reading a book about, of all things — grammar! Believe it or not, this book will have you absolutely howling. It makes great bedtime or bathroom reading. Hale teaches you all the necessary grammar and usage rules about everything from parts of speech to how to write sentences. Perhaps most importantly, she helps…
Style
This volume is an important companion to The Craft of Research. Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace focuses on the smaller-scale task of constructing coherent and effective sentences and paragraphs. Williams does not just state the principles, but illustrates how they work with myriad examples of good and bad writing — so you can see what not to do…
The Craft of Research
Need a companion to walk you through the steps of doing a research project? Whether you’re writing your first graduate school paper or publishing your seventeenth article, here’s your best friend. I’ve used this volume as a help for multiple projects and each time assimilate a new idea or hone a new skill by revisiting it. The authors walk you…
Whither Iraq?
Imaginary Grace is fortunate to have a special field correspondent in Iraq. Really, it’s just my friend who lives in Irbil. I don’t pay her much, but I did persuade her to take some shots for me so that I could write a mini photo essay to share with you. This first one is really a stunner. Not what you…
Angela Roskop Erisman 