Comments on: Clarity is over-rated http://www.tinygigantic.com/2007/05/14/clarity-is-over-rated/ An inspration feed updated daily by the troublemakers at Language in Common Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:27:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Richard Oliver http://www.tinygigantic.com/2007/05/14/clarity-is-over-rated/#comment-2669 Richard Oliver Mon, 14 May 2007 23:29:46 +0000 http://www.tinygigantic.com/2007/05/14/clarity-is-over-rated/#comment-2669 Robert Louis Stevenson has some interesting stuff to say about talk and conversation, if you can read past the archaic language and implicit sexism. The two chapter on Talk and Talkers from his "Memories and Portraits" can be found online <a href="http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/hst/biography/MemoriesandPortraits/chap10.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> and <a href="http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/hst/biography/MemoriesandPortraits/chap11.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. One of the bits I like is in the open of the first chapter: "Literature in many of its branches is no other than the shadow of good talk; but the imitation falls far short of the original in life, freedom and effect. There are always two to a talk, giving and taking, comparing experience and according conclusions. Talk is fluid, tentative, continually "in further search and progress"; while written words remain fixed, become idols even to the writer, found wooden dogmatisms, and preserve flies of obvious error in the amber of the truth." Robert Louis Stevenson has some interesting stuff to say about talk and conversation, if you can read past the archaic language and implicit sexism. The two chapter on Talk and Talkers from his “Memories and Portraits” can be found online here and here.

One of the bits I like is in the open of the first chapter:

“Literature in many of its branches is no other than the shadow of good talk; but the imitation falls far short of the original in life, freedom and effect. There are always two to a talk, giving and taking, comparing experience and according conclusions. Talk is fluid, tentative, continually “in further search and progress”; while written words remain fixed, become idols even to the writer, found wooden dogmatisms, and preserve flies of obvious error in the amber of the truth.”

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