Thursday, December 9, 2010

Clarity is not an ornament (2) - Lewis Black


A great many people, when they write prose, think clarity is optional. They believe it is an ornament, and that the essence of writing is “just get it down on paper.”

Newsman Frank Rich clearly does not agree with that belief. In an earlier post, I quoted him:

“You’d think after Enron’s collapse that financial leaders and government overseers would question the contents of ‘exotic’ investments that could not be explained in plain English.”

The other day, I learned that comedian Lewis Black (pictured) had also commented on Enron and clear writing:

“You don’t want another Enron? Here’s the law: If you have a company, and it can’t explain, in one sentence, what it does, it’s illegal.”

The Takeaway: Clear writing can be worth a trillion or two. Maybe more.

See disclaimer.

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