the lure of sentences

Stanley Fish on Sentences on NPR  Take a look or a listen to this fascinating and instructive story prompted by publication of Stanley Fish's new book How To Write A Sentence: And How To Read One.  There is also an excerpt from the book.  It has nothing, as far as I can tell, to do with Peter Lombard's medieval theological sentences and everything to do with admiration for the effectiveness and beauty of a well crafted sentence such as we can all learn to write.  (That was not an example of such a sentence.)

Some people are bird watchers, others are celebrity watchers; still others are flora and fauna watchers. I belong to the tribe of sentence watchers. Some appreciate fine art; others appreciate fine wines. I appreciate fine sentences. I am always on the lookout for sentences that take your breath away, for sentences that make you say, "Isn't that something?" or "What a sentence!"  from the book

Fish asserts that once one learns to take account of the relationships between the words, one is on the way to writing sentences that are not just "lists of words."

The AmCon connection: Americans have freedom of speech, expression, and the press.  Some feel compelled to use these for good or for ill.  Our democracy depends upon citizens both speaking to and listening to each other; both writing and reading.  Good sentences, well written and pleasing sentences, will encourage understanding, even among people who disagree with each other!