Book Review: Reading Style: A Life in Sentences

Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing, Vol. 24, No. 1 & 2, Summer 2016

4 Pages Posted: 22 Aug 2016

See all articles by Deborah L. Borman

Deborah L. Borman

University of Illinois Chicago School of Law; University of Arkansas Little Rock Bowen School of Law

Date Written: July 1, 2016

Abstract

To become better writers, students need to read great authors. For this reason, I always recommend that law students who want to become the best legal writers read great literature and novels especially those with subtle themes and complicated plots. Any good story with a subtext can help students develop better legal communication skills. The use of subtext, both psychosocial and historical, by many authors influences the reader’s perception and opinion of the characters. A compelling story can also be told with strong allusions and a variance between embellished details and short, direct descriptions. By working at the micro level with each sentence, students can craft a full brief that will glimmer from start to finish.

Keywords: Writing, Editing, Fiction, Crafting, Sentences

JEL Classification: Y30

Suggested Citation

Borman, Deborah Lee, Book Review: Reading Style: A Life in Sentences (July 1, 2016). Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing, Vol. 24, No. 1 & 2, Summer 2016 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2824734

Deborah Lee Borman (Contact Author)

University of Illinois Chicago School of Law ( email )

300 S. State Street
Chicago, IL 60604
United States

University of Arkansas Little Rock Bowen School of Law ( email )

1201 McMath
Little Rock, AR 72202
United States
5013249912 (Phone)

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
59
Abstract Views
562
Rank
648,431
PlumX Metrics