15 Quotes by Verlyn Klinkenborg

The words are not mere words. They are the breath and mind, perhaps even the soul, of the person who is reading.

But long sentences often tend to collapse or break down or become opaque or trip over their awkwardness.

But” is always preferable to “however,” Except in the rare cases where “however” is preferable to “but,” Which.

There’s always an assumption of selflessness in planting a tree. You’re supposed to think, while digging the hole, how far into the future the tree will grow and what shallow, unconvincing weeds we humans are in comparison. Standing by the young sprout, you’re supposed to wonder who will see this tree when it’s full-grown, and you’re bound in duty to consider the serenity of your own grave.

Without extraneous words or phrases or clauses, there will be room for implication.

Natural” is a word that invites suspicion. It should always present itself in quotation marks, A sign that its meaning is slippery. Humans can justify almost anything by calling it natural. Naturalness is the pervasive myth – the one to root out of your head.