What are the authors to read on learning how NOT to write flowery, pretentious essays?

Question

I attended the community college in central Arizona in summer 2007 and I earned an "A" (plus but not factored in gpa) overall upon completing English 101 class that focused on rhetorics, Tennessee Williams and the movie "Pulp Fiction". The female English professor said I was the most sophisticated writer in the class, considering my 'old' age (28). I had written the bluntly critical essays on Tennessee Williams' homosexual identity crisis and read aloud the essay on the amoral nature of Pulp Fiction to the class. I simplified Pulp Fiction essay to make it easier for the class to understand, however I used the word "equilibrium" properly in the sentence and when it was concluded, half the class applauded. This led me to quip to the professor "maybe it's a little pretentious" and the professor asked the class whether my assessment is correct. Most class agreed in unison.

What are the best writers, living & dead, that emphasize simple, down to earth writing style & tone?

I've read and immensely enjoyed Roger Ebert's reviews and essays. He was almost never pretentious and condescending in the tone of exulting self-importance compared to alternative newsweeklies and some magazines like New Times and Entertainment Weekly.

There's William Hazlitt and Samuel Johnson but I never read a single essay by these authors. Would they be recommended?

Answer 1

Lulu's got a good cite- Strunk and White's "Elements of Style" is my writing bible. The first half of this slim tome outlines common mistakes (e.g., accept/except) but the second half is the approach to writing that's wonderful and concise.

"The Gregg Reference Manual" is another indispensable book, especially on issues of punctuation.

And if you want to read someone who can sat a lot with very, very few words, try anything by Elmore Leonard. I like "Get Shorty," but any of his books is a good read.

A gentle caution- You write a good question, but your professor's gender is irrelevant. Strunk and White will help you to see what you need and what you can lose.

"Writing should be like a woman's skirt- long enough to cover the subject but short enough to keep it interesting."

Answer 2

You definitely want to start with Hemingway, who all but invented the concise style that has affected both fiction and nonfiction. Also, look at Strunk and White's _The Elements of Style_.