The Copywriter’s Dilemma

I’m finally reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. For somebody who makes her living keeping sentences short and cutting out the big words, this is a real feast. His writing is graceful, eloquent, full of meaning and literary allusions, and full of words that send me to the dictionary. With long, loping, looping sentences.

I’m loving it. The feeling reminds of the time I had tried to cut fats from my diet for about a month and then fell off the wagon for a slice of Lucky 13 pesto pizza just dripping with olive oil. What a blessed relief! Fat! Rapture!

I won’t give up my quest to perfect the art of writing lean when I’m writing copy, of course. A big book serves a completely different function than say, a web page or an elevator pitch. I open up The Ominvore’s Dilemma when I’m ready to curl up in a comfy chair for long stretches. Nobody ever curls up with a good trifold brochure.

So, while eye-grabbing headlines and bullet lists of benefits have their place in the world of word mongering, it’s heartening to find Pollan and to be reassured that beautiful, intricate, thought-inducing prose still resonates with people and still sells lots of books.

Good writing feeds the soul, and I’m glad to be reminded of the importance of enjoying a varied diet. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to read about the mysteries of mycorrhizal fungi and marvel at the wild mushroom’s talent for decomposing and recycling organic matter into digestive enzymes that support all life on earth.

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