What’s the most persuasive way to convey a message? Many writers say, “Tell a story!” Nothing hooks like narrative. I’ve said so myself. But research shows stories have a rival for hooking power: ...

We have plumbed the depths of abstract words, but what about abstract ideas? Abstractions are a fact of professional life. The law is littered with them. Think of the legislative process, intellectual ...

In The Writing Life, Annie Dillard commented on her experience of writing from a variety of angles, sometimes crystal clear, sometimes opaque. She’s a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and poet who ...