QotD: Speaking and Writing

As it happens, I'm reading Volume I of the collected Orwell, and the comparison between his prose and mine is the occasion for much pained wincing. But at least when I use a long word, it's not because I think I'm getting paid by the syllable (in acclamation). No, actually, this is the way I talk. Disturbing, I know. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to live with a character from a slightly stilted Edwardian novel--well, just ask any of my roommates. Except I can't do all those complicated hairstyles or twirl a parasol.

But I digress. To my mind, the very best prose is the kind where you can't quite put your finger on why it is so damn good . . . where the whole thing is so polished, precise, and true that you can't pick out a single, clever sentence to put in your quote diary. Sadly, I'll never have the pleasure of producing such . . . but I can admire it in others.

Jane Galt, "Crossed Signals", Asymmetrical Information, 2006-05-10