How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One

Some appreciate fine art; others appreciate fine wines. Stanley Fish appreciates fine sentences. The New York Times columnist and world-class professor has long been an aficionado of language. Like a seasoned sportscaster, Fish marvels at the adeptness of finely crafted sentences and breaks them down into digestible morsels, giving readers an instant play-by-play.

In this entertaining and erudite gem, Fish offers both sentence craft and sentence pleasure, skills invaluable to any writer (or reader). How to Write a Sentence is both a spirited love letter to the written word and a key to understanding how great writing works; it is a book that will stand the test of time.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – Why Sentences?
Chapter 2 – Why You Won’t Find the Answer in Strunk and White
Chapter 3 – It’s Not The Thought That Counts
Chapter 4 – What Is a Good Sentence?
Chapter 5 – The Subordinating Style
Chapter 6 – The Additive Style
Chapter 7 – The Satiric Style: The Return of Content
Chapter 8 – First Sentences
Chapter 9 – Last Sentences
Chapter 10 – Sentences That Are About Themselves (Aren’t They All?)