I was struck by the appearance of the text in Verlyn Klinenborg’s Several short sentences about writing. It looks like an epic poem. A whole page made up of one-line paragraphs is unusual. Klinkenborg espouses the Ernest Hemingway approach to writing: short sentences and clarity. Toward the end of Several short sentences about writing Klinkenborg includes some great examples of wonderful sentences by John McPhee, A. J. Liebling, Rebecca West, Guy Davenport, George Orwell, W. H. Auden, John Cheever, Joan Didion, Tom McGuane, Joyce Carol Oates, and Charles Lamb. I wish there were more examples like that in the book. Klinkenborg also provides sentences with “problems” written by his students with suggestions of how to repair them. If you want to read a small book about improving your writing, Klinenborg will give you plenty to think about when you’re writing. GRADE: B