Subject and Structure, an anthology for writers – review

Many of us must have heard about anthologies for the readers. There are many. There will be many to come. There have been many. However, most of us often discount when it comes to anthologies for writers. We think very few such books might have been published and the assumption is always right. However, the fewer these books might be, the better these books are! I will be telling the audience of Indian Book Critics about one such anthology for the writers today – Subject and Structure, an anthology for writers by John M. Wasson. What is this book? This is basically a collection or an anthology, as the title suggests, of essays, poems, prose pieces and short pieces as well as extracts from the original pieces. What else? Is this book useful for writers? Can I read this today? All such questions will be answered in this article.

The beauty of this book is that it actually teaches through the offered pieces more than it entertains. For some readers, it might be a matter not of very much interest. However, this book is meant for writers and they will certainly enjoy their time reading this anthology full of pieces forming a very fine collection that will work on various fronts. The editor has decided to divide the collected literary pieces into various sections and those are:

• Turning Point – Examples
• The World Around Us – Description
• America’s Entertainment – Comparison and Contrast
• The Computer-Card Culture – Process
• Work in an Alienated Society – Cause and Effect
• Language and Style – Definition
• Freedom and Responsibility – Argument
• A Matter of Faith – Persuasion
• Lessons for the Future – Evaluation

So, what we see here is a clear division of the items contained in the collection entitled Subject and Structure, an anthology for writers. Moreover, contained within these 9 sections, there are about 70 (or perhaps one or two more) literary items. After the literary pieces, you also see two sets of questions – about the subject of the piece as well as the structure of the piece you just read. These questions test the comprehension of the writers, who are supposed readers of this book. Critical and general abilities to understand a text piece is tested by the cunning questions which will compel a reader to go through the text rather carefully and minutely.

So, how do I find this book on an overall scale for the writers? I will say that it covers the concepts which are essential for a writer to know before the beginning of the journey. Very fine pieces in the collection by the authors and poets who have been known very well over the years is certainly something to have on your desk if you are a writer or an aspirant writer looking to further strengthen your writing skills. To write better, one has to read better and this book will help with that!

You can get the copy of this book perhaps in the older book markets or you can explore it on Amazon – Click here to see offers on this book on Amazon.

Commentary and review by Jyotsna for Indian Book Critics