THE POLITICS OF PLAIN TALK

The ongoing debate over “linguistic transparency” – the idea that good writers must write clearly – has pitted George Orwell against Theodor Adorno. The ranks are now being divided between intellectuals who are intolerant of deliberately difficult jargon, and those who believe plain talk can endanger writers’ ability depict the complexities of the world in more radical terms. – Lingua Franca

SITWELL FRIENDS

Fifty years ago, Osbert Sitwell’s autobiography was widely acclaimed “as one of the masterpieces of 20th-century writing in English. Today most of Sitwell’s works, including the autobiography, remain in print, but only in expensive library editions available on special order, and it is doubtful whether many people read them.” Now a new biography. – Boston Globe